#anyway yeah this interview is incredible

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

The tale of Alex Turner's girlfriend's jumper, Josh Homme, and the making of Humbug

(Extracts from Mojo Magazine, September 2009)

The jumper sealed the deal: the cable-knit jumper, belonging to his girlfriend. Alex Turner just happened upon it early one evening in the different late summer of 2008, as he waited for the telephone to ring. It wasn't so much the fact of it being a girl's jumper. He could get away with wearing a size skinny, after all. And besides, it would be dark at the gig he planned to go to later on. No, it was the cable-knit which gave him pause. Was he, Alex wondered, really a cable-knit guy?

His reverie was interrupted by the call he'd been expecting. Alex had spoken to Josh Homme before: the Queens Of The Stone Age leader declared himself a fan by marching into the Arctic Monkeys dressing room at a Belgian festival the previous year; later in 2007 the Monkeys supported the Queens in Houston. Compliments were exchanged, though Alex did wonder about the precise mutuality of this appreciation. Maybe 70-30? Obviously, the Monkeys were big fans of QOTSA: the Queens' sensual dirt-rock had been a key benchmark for their album Favourite Worst Nightmare. And Josh Homme? He had at least heard of Alex's band, and that was good enough. But now here he was, on the phone, accepting the invitation to produce the next Arctic Monkeys album. Alex deferred taking the conversation down to brass tracks. Airily, he mentioned his knitwear dilemma.

Homme was firm on the matter.

"Go for it, man."

But I'm not sure. I mean, it belongs to me girlfriend, and it fits, and it looks all right, but...

"Just throw caution to the wind," said Homme, as if issuing an imperial edit. "Let go of those inhibitions you've got there and just wear your cable-knit."

Sound, said Alex. So, about this record...?

"I listened to the demo," said Homme. "I heard 30 seconds of it and thought, You're coming to the desert." Then, to himself, he added with relish. "And little do you know what's about to happen..."

That evening, Alex Turner wore his girlfriend's cable-knit jumper. A month or so later, he and his three bandmates were picked up from a Los Angeles hotel by Josh Homme and driven out to the small Mojave Desert town of Joshua Tree, where they began recording the new Arctic Monkeys album. One phone abut cable-knitwear later, Arctic Monkeys were off to southern California for a hot date.

....

Presiding throughout this transformative process [of recording Humbug], during the warm autumn days or late into the chilly desert nights, would be Alex Turner's girlfriend's cable-knit jumper.

"Josh likes to speak in analogies, in terms of how things should sound," says the Arctic Monkeys' songwriter with a chuckle, as he reflects upon the six-month gestation of his band's new album. "Cable-knits got mentioned a lot during recording. He was like, if you can wear a cable-knit you can put a glockenspiel on a tune. It became a metaphor: you can wear a cable-knit and then sonically we can try something different. We went off on a little adventure. Because we were conscious that if this were really going to work, we would have to open up a little more than we have in the past. Joshua Tree really feels far away. You felt..." He frowns, reaching for the right word. "Unpoliced."

Which all rather begs the question: does that six and a half foot ginger hunk of abiding rockness Josh Homme wear cable-knitwear? A small smile plays around the corners of Alex Turner's mouth.

"He assured me he did."

....

The previous evening Alex finally spoke to Josh Homme for the first time since Humbug's completion. After expressing his delight with the end results of their combat crawl through the Mojave badlands, Homme enquired whether Turner was going out later. Alex informed that he was. "Cable-knits?" asked Homme. "Cable-knits," said Alex, the Arctic Monkey, comfortable in the embrace of the strange.

....

[sukugo]

Hayden can play bottoms so well bless him 💖💖💖

GDJDHDJD SOOO TRUE ANON. all his characters are just ASKING to get fucked

[salmonlyster]

im feeling really normally about the 4k remaster and the release of gerards character name so here r my im not okay headcanons :ppp ive drawn frank and ray maybe once ever

more thoughts under the cut vv

okay i might make these fuckerrs into a little comic because theyre eating in my brain like a little worm.... similarly to the im not okay mv the primary inspiration is rushmore but id also want to draw from like heathers and blue monday and eltingville etc

here are some screenshots w notes on them and dynamics etc

illi: glue of the group, introduces them all to each other. for the sake of this, illi and louise are not related. name is from the 4k rendition of the mv. incredibly ambitious and always creates the main idea for the schemes that the group gets up to. kind of only nonbinary due to the fact that illi is an incredibly interesting name, and a very open opportunity for me to make revenge gerard even more nonbinary. their uniform is neat and tidy, not particularly out of respect for the school, but more out of awareness of their own appearance. into fashion but doesn't really know how to deal with their hair. just lets it grow out and fucks with it in the moment. croquet mallet is blue, so draws a lot of inspiration from veronica sawyer. they/she pronouns? maybe? but i lean towards they/them.

frances: placeholder name i guess? it's important for him to have the initials "FTW" to play on both ft willis/fuck the world but i think percy also works since it's a bit of a play on pencey prep. incredibly strained relationship with louise- very different personalities is a source of conflict between them. frances has the messiest uniform because he's the least put together, and has the most carefree attitude about things. hes really into being a problem but hes an unnaturally bright student when he actually gets into doing the work - taking a page from max fischers book here lmao. chipped nail polish. wears barrettes sometimes. very clever.

louise: i've always been enamored by that interview where gerard says that the band used "louise" as a nickname for mikey so i've associated it specifically with his glasses era. no last name for now but i think it has to have the same ou sound. primary inspiration for his character is max from rushmore. used to wear his hair slicked down until illi staged an intervention and forced him and frances to hang out one-on-one and style hair. neat uniform, but doesn't fit him properly for whatever reason. hand me down? transgenderism? he's just too tall? idk! connected with adults more than peers growing up and as a result is very under-socialized. involved with student leadership at the school.

ray: ughhhhh WHYYY did he have to write ray rules on the paper it would have been so fun to make a completely new name. okay anyways i just like graham and i think it suits whatever i have built for him. undiagnosed adhd and if anything a bit of a halfway point between illi and the rest of the group. illi is really intense and cannot be stopped sometimes so graham is kind of the "babygirl i was made to understand you vision" person. yeah im getting this from the hand on shoulder and sitting closer in that one scene but be nice to me im working with like. two minutes of footage as a launching point. uniform isn't buttoned, not because of carelessness, but forgetfulness. he's a little bit inconsistent about everything he does.

the school in general: rushmore style private school, kind of dying in recent years so funding and management is all over the place. mascot used to be the dogs or something but there were copyright issues with the logo and now they are the bears.

i thiiiink thats all i have for now?? im going to draw them more just you guys wait lmfao. ive always loved im not okay more than any other mv by a large margin so all things considered this is me being normal.

[norrissm]

౨౿ BEHIND THE VISOR — LN4

lando norris x reader / est. relationship / library

syn. a compilation of moments of lando and his girlfriend during drive to survive season 7. none of the episodes are according to the actual dts season, i made em all up for the plot :)

[season 7 episode 1]

[scene: paddock walk, bahrain]

the cameras catch you walking beside lando, trying to keep up with his long strides. he’s mid-conversation with his engineer but still reaches back to grab your hand absentmindedly. “lando, mate, focus,” his engineer laughs.

“i am focused,” lando insists, barely sparing him a glance. “just also making sure she doesn’t get lost.” the editors cut to you rolling your eyes, but the mic picks up the way you mumble, “yeah, wouldn’t want to get left behind again.”

“one time!” lando groans, looking straight at the camera like it’s an episode of the office.

[episode 2]

[scene: pre-race grid, singapore]

the cameras catch you adjusting the collar of lando’s race suit while he stands still, arms at his sides. it’s a quick, quiet moment—one that’s almost drowned out by the chaos around you.

“you good?” you ask. lando nods but doesn’t let go of your wrist when you pull away. “yeah.”

the broadcast cuts to the starting grid, but fans later notice that just before he puts his helmet on, he taps the top of it twice—something he’s never done before.

[episode 3]

[scene: mclaren garage, monaco]

it’s been a tough quali for lando and he is slumped on the chair in the garage eyes lowered down and chest heaving from the heat in the cockpit. the camera shows you walking upto him and sitting down next to him, leaning forward to look at him in his eyes.

the camera catches you crouching beside him, peeling an orange for him.

lando only has enough energy to simply nod and jerk forward with a sigh at the pressure of the performance he has to put on tomorrow for a good result. the camera captures the quiet moment of unspoken support.

your hands coming behind him massaging his neck, lando leaning into the touch head thrown down. sometimes mumbling supportive words to him.

[episode 4]

[scene: paddock post race, silverstone]

lando won. lando had won the silverstone grand prix — his home race. the mclaren garage was a cacophony of screams and yells of happiness as the camera showed different montages of the shared joy.

it landed on you showing tears in your eyes and your folded hands covered your face, eyes bright staring at the screen looking at lando turn into his victory lap.

the camera stilled on you long enough to catch you send a prayer with your eyes closed and the biggest smile on your face. the next time you’re on screen it’s lando rushing towards you suit and helmet on, into your arms. you kiss his helmet and lando rubs your back.

twitter goes crazy when this clip drops.

[episode 5]

[scene: post-race debrief, japan]

it was a shitshow of a race. lando finished p9 after a last-lap battle that he should have won. the cameras catch the way he storms into the garage, jaw tight, hands curled into fists.

he yanks off his helmet and slams it onto the table. the crew gives him space, but you don’t. you’re already there, waiting, arms crossed.

“lando,” you say softly. “don’t,” he snaps, not looking at you.

the netflix mic catches the way you inhale sharply, but you don’t walk away. instead, you grab a towel and push it into his hands. “you need to breathe.” lando talks to you venting it out as the audio changes to background commentary— although his frustration was visible.

later, netflix editors choose not to include what he mutters next. “i just didn’t want to let you down.”

but lip-readers figure it out anyway.

[episode 6]

[scene: media pen, post-race, silverstone]

“lando, you had an incredible drive today. p1 at your home race! how are you feeling?”

lando, still a little breathless, grins at the sky before looking at the interviewer. “yeah, buzzing. car was mega, team did an amazing job. it’s just…” he trails off, looking past the camera.

the interviewer follows his gaze—to where you’re standing just outside the media pen, wearing one of his hoodies over your sundress, smiling at him. lando’s face softens, his whole demeanor shifting.

“yeah,” he says again, eyes still on you. “pretty good day.”

the internet loses its mind.

reblog and follow <3 all rights reserved to norrissm please do not copy, save or translate my works.

[darling-flora]

a sunday kind of love

fc : yesly dimate

charles leclerc  x interviewer!yn

Notes: Im not really a follower of the wag's so if your a "fan" of ASM you might not like this b/c she's a "villain" kinda (not really?? but idk) also this took me so long because nfl season started and im stressed 😫 ANYWAYS hope you like it rt's are appreciated !!!! ❤

f1gossip

Liked by username1, username2 and 159,944 others

f1gossip Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux have confirmed their split after messages where she admitted to using Leclerc for fame leaked by a mutual friend of Leclerc and Mleux.

view all comments

username1 ohhhhh and yall hated everyone saying that she had bad vibes 🤭

username2 the season just ended??? bros gonna be alone for winter break 😭

username3 what about the messages of her being jealous of y/n interviewing charles 🤭

↳username4 i mean almost every driver flirts with her 😭 ↳username5 i hope they get together honestly 🤷‍♀️ every time she interviews him he's smiley, even if he's had a bad race 🥺 ↳username6 nahhh y/n was always a bit weird towards her, i wouldn't be surprised if she wanted charles ↳username5 SHE was weird, because when y/n tried to say hi to her she was being SOOOO fake 😭 ↳username7 yeah there's a video of them first meeting and SHE looked y/n up and down then when y/n turned around she made a face...... so y/n is NOT the problem

username8 she hasn't been at any races since the belgian gp, so they had to of been broken up for like three months???

↳username9 yeah i think so, the messages that were leaked were from early july don't know why it took them three months to say something tho ? ↳username10 maybe to not distract from him racing ?

username11 the friend ate for leaking the messages

username12 she really tried to lock him in with that dog 😭

↳username13 he kept the dog in the divorce anyways 🤭

username14 both carlos and charles in their single era 💅

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, joeyb_9 and 559,944 others

yourinstagram Bits of the 2023 season !! Looking forward to next year ❣

view all comments

username1 the lewis pic is iconic !!

maxverstappen Im an incredible artist

↳yourinstagram in someone's eyes maybe ↳maxverstappen wtf ↳maxverstappen i take back every time i've said your my favorite reporter ↳yourinstagram well we both know thats not true ↳maxverstappen yeah your right 😔 ↳username2 why do i love them 😭 ↳username3 there interactions are always so funny 🤭

username4 everyone's favorite reporter 🙌

bengals Every NFL press room misses you !! But mostly us 😔

↳yourinstagram I MISS YOU ALL TOO !!! 🐅🧡 ↳username5 she went from interviewing 6 foot nfl players to 5 foot f1 drivers 😭 ↳username6 the only reporter to make Burrow and Herbert smile after a bad game 🥲 ↳username7 she did nfl reporting ?? ↳username6 yep ! she did nfl and f1 reporting at the same time but the past two years she's only reported on f1 !!

username8 y/n being friends with all the drivers is my favorite thing

username9 Hi perfect woman!

charles_leclerc We got two pics carlossainz55 😮

↳carlossainz55 We have to aim for at least 1 more next year 😉 ↳yourinstagram you two are always plotting and scheming.... 🤨 ↳charles_leclerc Lies ↳carlossainz55 Lies ↳yourinstagram right....

username10 literally breathtaking. a disney princess

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yourinstagram Story

view all story replies

charles_leclerc so your in malibu ? 👀

yourinstagram maybe.... 👀

charles_leclerc well i may be in malibu as was well 😁

yourinstagram mhm what a coincidence 🧐

charles_leclerc sooooo charles_leclerc do you wanna get lunch or something ? charles_leclerc maybe tomorrow 👀

yourinstagram i’d love too 😁

charles_leclerc i'll text you the details then i'll pick you up !

yourinstagram sounds perfect !! see you then 😊

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, yourbff and 859,944 others

yourinstagram dinner and a date ❤

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username1 GOD IS A WOMAN

username2 what a face 😍

yourbff with... who i think it is?👀

↳yourinstagram maybe...

username3 Keep shining beauty 💫

username4 can whoever your on a date with fight ?

francisca.cgomes miss u already ❣️

↳yourinstagram hope to see you soon beautiful 😙❤

username5 my girl crush fr

username6 joe burrow and justin herbert just fell to their knees

↳username7 so did half of the f1 grid... 😔 ↳username8 unless it's one of them 👀 ↳username6 burrow isn't in la but herbert is 🤔 ↳username7 a hand-full of f1 divers are in la right now tho 😩

username9 the type of picture i would put in a locket and take to war

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charles_leclerc

Liked by yourinstagram, oscarpiastri and 6,559,944 others

charles_leclerc Summer over. 2024 season here we come ❤🏎

view all comments

username1 LEO LECLERC !!!!!!!!!!

username2 now who is that

username3 who is this diva?

username4 photo dump game is getting STRONGER

username5 HES ALIVE EEVEYONE CHEER

username6 THE LAST PIC ????

username7 I don't know which is more beautiful, the view or charles

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, username1 and 859,944 others

yourinstagram A Sunday kind of love ❤

view all comments

username1 now whose arm is that...

username2 ARE YOU READY FOR BHARAIN ????

↳yourinstagram Sadly no !! I'll be back to work at the Saudi Arabian GP !!

username3 *bows to you*

username4 u serve like no one else

maxverstappen Hello..... 🤨

↳yourinstagram whats with the face... ↳maxverstappen the cats were expecting a visit..... ↳yourinstagram OMG I FORGOT PLEASE TELL JIMMY AND SASSY IM SORRY ↳maxverstappen they wont forget this.... 😔 ↳yourinstagram NO PLEASE I'LL SEND THEM TREATS AS AN APOLOGY ↳username5 i know they are just friends but they have so much chemistry it's crazy 😵

username6 you’re my roman empire

username7 both charles and y/n soft launching.... if 2+2 = 4 then.....

username8 This woman makes everything she wears look good

username9 THOUGHTS ON LEWIS TO FERRARI ???

↳yourinstagram SO SO SO excited !!!

username10 well i adore u

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, username1 and 959,944 others

yourinstagram JEDDAH PHOTO DUMP !!!! My first weekend to start the 2024 season and what a weekend it was, glad Carlos is feeling better (we are appendix-less buddies now) max p1 checo p2 and charles p3 !!!!!!!! and a HUGE congrats to Ollie for scoring points in his f1 debut !!

view all comments

username1 Our princess is back!

username2 You’re unreal, you’re such a masterpiece, you’re angelic 

maxverstappen I expect to be in every photo dump

↳yourinstagram so sassy 🙄

username3 how could anyone be this perfect

olliebearman Thank you !!!! 😁

liked by yourinstagram

username4 We love you princess

francisca.cgomes I’m the leader of your fan club ❤️

liked by yourinstagram

username5 My favorite Woman is back!!!!

charles_leclerc The last pic is my favorite

↳yourinstagram mhm wonder why.....🧐

username6 The angel we all need

username7 i cannot get over how absolutely stunning you are ????? help

username8 Blooming 💅🏼

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, username1 and 859,944 others

yourinstagram HELLO HELLO !!!! Australia, Japan, China, Miami PHOTO DUMP !!!! The start of the 2024 season has been a bit stressful but ALSO so so so fun

view all comments

username1 please hard launch soon i cant take the suspense 😩🙏

oscarpiastri Some very intense racing going on in the 4th picture

liked by yourinstagram

username2 y/n the woman you are, thank you for the pics🧎🏻‍♀️

lilymhe Gorgeous angle 📐 👼

liked by yourinstagram

username3 you've a bit more down this season 💔 hope your taking care of yourself !!!

↳yourinstagram Don't worry I am !!! The weekends can be a bit stressful is all, hopefully lessening the work load will help ❤ ↳username3 sad if there is less y/n but glad your prioritizing yourself !! ❤

username4 you always have the best bts pictures thank you 🙏

username5 literally the it girl

francisca.cgomes You are everything and more 💌

liked by yourinstagram

username6 serving cvnt as always

landonorris Im everyone's favorite part of this photo dump

↳yourinstagram you keep telling yourself that

username7 Oh hi pretty girl

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, username1 and 2,859,944 others

yourinstagram Italy ⭐

view all comments

username1 Real life princess indeed

landonorris podium 😎

↳yourinstagram who? ↳landonorris who what ? ↳yourinstagram asked... ↳landonorris wtf ???

username2 ik y/n freaked out seeing vettel 🤭

username3 in italy but no gp ?? do you job 🙄

↳yourinstagram Yes ! I was at the race just not reporting, Luke who is an incredible reporter is going to be doing a few races this season. ↳yourinstagram Race weekends can be a bit overwhelming and hopefully having the option of letting someone else report we'll help lessen the negative effects of the job for both of us !!! Hope that answers your question ☺ ↳username4 "Hope that answers your question" oh she ate that 🤭

username5 all the red..... she has to be dating either charles or carlos

username6 wait is she dating the dude in the 6th pic ????

↳username4 nope !! thats luke gooding a reporter and he has a girlfriend !!

username7 yall need to stfu about who she's dating omfg

francisca.cgomes i love you pretty girl

↳yourinstagram love ya 💫

username8 ughh face card sister oml

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f1gossip

Liked by username1, username2 and 159,944 others

f1gossip Charles Leclerc and reporter Y/n L/n were spotted shopping in Monaco ahead of the Monaco GP.

Do we think they're dating ?

view all comments

username1 this is so serious for me....

username2 YES THEY ARE DATING !!! they have not been subtle about it, they flirt in their interviews, charles has been posting her cats in his insta stories for WEEKS ….

↳username3 they’ve probably been together for a while honestly…. glad they feel comfortable being more public tho 🫶

username4 they are being more public together while his ex is liking hate post about y/n.....

↳username3 she's always liked weird shit on socials, so im not surprised lmao

username5 wait they were in cali at the same time AND y/n posted a picture saying dinner an a date....

↳username6 so they've been seeing eachother for like 6 MONTHS ??? ↳username7 we dont know if they're together?? they were just hanging out... ↳username6 after the double date and this......i don't think it's really a question if they're dating 😭

username8 they are definitely hard launching this weekend

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charles_leclerc

Liked by yourinstagram, oscarpiastri and 6,559,944 others

charles_leclerc Happy birthday to the hardest working, sweetest, and most beautiful creature I've ever known, I adore you and love you more than you know ma chérie ❤

view all comments

username1 IS HE QUOTING HARRY STYLES SONGS ???? MY HEART CANT TAKE THIS 😭

username2 I love this couple! So beautiful ❤️

yourinstagram oh i love you so so much mi amor !!! 🥲🫶

↳charles_leclerc You are my world 🌍 love love you ❣

username3 The way he is looking at her is every girls dream

username4 the way you tagged her on your heart 🥺 happy bday y/n we love ya ❤️

leclerc_pascale Happy birthday to my favorite girl ❤ Always a smile on the two of your faces when i see you guys together ❤️

↳yourinstagram Awww love ya ❤

landonorris lucky guy 😔

username5 It's not fair that you're living my dream, perhaps the dream of millions.

username6 The most gorg pair

username7 I don’t think there is a more beautiful looking couple on earth

username8 OMG MY PARENTSSS

username9 You guys !! Love looks good on u both ✨

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yourinstagram

Liked by charles_leclerc, username1 and 2,859,944 others

yourinstagram Monaco 24' !!!!! What a dream to see Monaco love you back mi amor. Such a sight to see you on the top step of your home race, you have deserved this win for so so so long !!! i’m so proud of you and i love you endlessly ❣️

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username1 him blowing a kiss to her on the podium 🥺

charles_leclerc Thank you for being there ma chérie ❤

↳charles_leclerc I love you to the moon and back ❣ ↳yourinstagram love you my pretty boy 😪❤

username2 did you tell the cameras to focus on someone else because you were about to cry…

↳yourinstagram maybe….🫣 - not just crying though it was VERY close to full on SOBBING 😭

username3 oh i’m crying a little 🥲

leclerc_pascale thank you for making our boy so happy my sweet girl

↳yourinstagram thank you for making him easy to love ❤ ↳username “our boy” “easy to love” i can’t take this today i’ve already cried to much 😫

username4 three cats and a puppy..... its a full house mama

username5 AHHHHHH 😭😭😭 so so happy for you both 🌸💘

username6 I honestly just wanna be like you when I grow up.

arthur_leclerc I am in possession of a picture of y/n sobbing if anyone wants it

↳yourinstagram leo and cat privileges could very easily be revoked ↳arthur_leclerc My apologizes…. i was lying 😁 ↳username6 he really said “ my apologies i wasn’t familiar with your game” 😭

username7 yall are so cute im gonna throw up

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charles_leclerc

Liked by yourinstagram, oscarpiastri and 7,559,944 others

charles_leclerc Last but favorite photo dump from my Monaco weekend ❤

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username1 you and y/n are the only people ever 😪

username2 these two lovebirds ❤

yourinstagram my favorite race winner !!! 🥲🫶

↳charles_leclerc ❤🥰❤

username3 You guys look like a dream

username4 you can tell how much it meant to charles to win this race

arthur_leclerc Congrats to y/n's boyfriend for winning the Monaco GP !!!

↳charles_leclerc My favorite nickname 🥰 ↳arthur_leclerc The fact that i know you're not joking.... ↳charles_leclerc What's to joke about 🤷‍♂️

username5 adorable the two of you ❤

username6 charles monaco gp win you are and will always be everything to me

lewishamilton7 Happy for you man 🏆❤

username8 I'M SO SINGLE THIS ISN'T FUN ANYMORE

[akawifeyy]

silly girl | smau (LN4)

description: the life of a comedian is full of laughter, but the biggest punchline? your experience with love.

tropes: chaos galore, he's obsessed with her, sunshine x sunshine, age gap (23 and 25), comedian!fem!reader

face claim: faith collins

trigger warnings: suggestive content, some mature jokes, swearing

| note: hehehe i love this fic 🫶

@ yourusername: dallas was incredible, i had the best time laughing with you all! a recorded video of tonight's show is posted at the link in my bio if you couldn't make it. see you next weekend in austin 😘

tagged: @ standupcomedy

comments (2567):

@ user1: Amazing shows! I went to Night 2 and I couldn't breathe, I was laughing so hard. Wish I bought tickets for the other two nights.

-> @ user2: sooo real, i got to see her in miami and i felt like my heart was going to explode from laughing

@ user3: Incredible job, so proud 💖

@ user4: Mother has fed us during this tour, I never want it to end

@ yourbffusername: SCREAMING CRYING, I love you SO much Y/N

@ f1: Just 3 more days until COTA! How are you gearing up for the Grand Prix?

tagged: @ mclaren, @ mercedes, @ redbullracing, & 6 more

comments (49584):

@ landonorris: Can't wait to be a cowboy again 🤠

@ user5: COTAAAA MY BELOVED

@ user6: so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ user7: No because I'm actually a second away from crashing out because I just realized @ yourusername's show is at the same time as the Austin GP

-> @ user8: wait nonono you're joking 😭 i bought tickets too

10/19/25 at Y/N's Show (Transcript):

Y/N L/N: I feel like if I don't bring this up, the masses are going to come at me with pitchforks. (clearing throat) Today's a pretty big day in Austin. Um, Formula One is having its COTA Grand Prix.

Audience members: (whooping)

Y/N L/N: Yeah, looks like we have quite a few F1 fans in here. I'd kind of consider myself one, but please don't ask me what DRS stands for off the top of my head or what Ferrari's strategies are during races, because I wouldn't be able to tell you. But anyways, I found out that I scheduled this show at the same time as the GP.

Audience member: (loud yelling noise)

Y/N L/N: (breaks down laughing) Yep, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But I totally get it. Seeing a bunch of rich, hot men drive around in circles? Like, aw man, where did my pants go? I swear they were just on. (continues giggling) Seriously, though, some of those drivers? It should be illegal how attractive they are. Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris. Oh God, don't even get me started on Lando Norris.

Y/N L/N: (eyes widen dramatically) I never liked brunettes or Englishmen, but he might just make me change my mind.

Interview with Lando Norris (2025):

Interviewer: Have you seen the clips from Y/N L/N's most recent comedy show here in Austin?

Lando Norris: (laughs) Yes, I heard about it!

Interviewer: Thoughts?

Lando Norris: She's very funny. I like her sense of humor. But as for relationships, I have to focus on my racing, so I can't get distracted. Sorry!

10/20/25 at Y/N's Show (Transcript):

Y/N L/N: So... Yesterday's show. (makes popping sound with lips) Some of y'all, I feel like I need to ban you – and before you boo, let me explain why. I made jokes about Formula One drivers, and how hot they are, and a select few of you decided to out me? (mock gasp)

Y/N L/N: Yeah, I know! Fucking Lando Norris was interviewed about me! Isn't that insane? This ultra-rich motor sport driver was asked about some redhead girl who yaps for a living. And he called me funny? I need to put this on my resume.

Audience member: You two need to date!

Y/N L/N: The matchmaking is insane. Oh God, wait until my mother hears about this, then I'm actually cooked. I'm 23 years old, I have a lot of biological time left, but you're vultures! When is it going to end? And don't say, "When you get married to Lando Norris", because it's not happening. Sadly.

@ ynupdates: Contrary to popular belief, Y/N did have a boyfriend! This was way back in 2019 to 2022. His name is Emmett Ellgren, and they dated for three years until their mutual split. Since then, Y/N has poked fun at the relationship, but no substantial details have been released about their break up.

tagged: @ yourusername

comments (2942):

@ user9: HELP i forgot about emmett he's such an npc 😮‍��

@ user10: emmett is no longer relevant to the lore

-> @ user2: The real man we should be paying attention to is Lando Norris

-> @ user8: i know omg 😭

comments (3842):

@ user11: They're both silly gooses, I'm scared to see the havoc they'll wreak together in McLaren 🥲

@ user12: i'll believe it when i see it

@ user13: Lando is too immature to have a stable girlfriend

-> @ user3: which is why Y/N's perfect, they'll be immature together 🥰

-> @ user4: This just proves you've never watched one of Y/N's shows before lmao

Y/N's Instagram Story (2025):

comments (8521):

@ user13: OMG OMG OMG IT'S STARTING

-> @ user14: I'm so glad I get to be alive during the LandoY/N era

@ user12: It'll be so funny if this turns out to be from Oscar or something 🙃

-> @ user15: HELP

Text Messages between Y/N and Lando (2025):

@ landonorris: P3 in Mexico! Awesome results

tagged: @ mclaren, @ f1, @ yourusername

comments (64312):

@ user16: ALERT ALERT Y/N HAS BEEN TAGGED

@ user13: guys i'm actually gonna combust 🫣🔥

-> @ user17: They're together, it has to be

@ yourusername: nice sombrero 😋

-> @ landonorris: Thank you!!!

Text Messages between Y/N and Lando (2025):

@ yourusername: hola mexico 🇲🇽

tagged: @ landonorris

comments (3846):

@ yourbffusername: Looks so fun!

-> @ yourusername: yes it was incredible

@ user10: laaandoooo i see you 👀

@ user18: How does it feel to be living my dream

@ landonorris: So glad you could make it, had a lot of fun talking to you

@ f1gossip: It is rumored that comedian Y/N L/N and McLaren driver Lando Norris are together, after Y/N posted a photo of her receiving paddock passes, and the pair responded to one another's posts about the Mexico Grand Prix.

tagged: @ yourusername, @ landonorris

comments (1293):

@ user9: i'm waitinggg

@ user10: this is worse than the wait for reputation tv

-> @ user18: clowning so hard i know 😖

@ user19: HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS SEEN LANDO'S INSTA STORY? 🤯

Lando's Deleted Instagram Story:

comments (235):

@ user20: OMGOMGDSDKLSDDNS

@ user21: my eyes are not deceiving me, this is y/n

@ user5: Y/N IS THAT YOU 😳

@ landonorris: OK OK yes I give in, we are together. Happy one month, @ yourusername, I love you to the moon and back!

tagged: @ yourusername

comments (34852):

@ user21: classic Lando accidentally posting the wrong thing and outing himself

-> @ user22: idk what else we would expect from chaos incarnate 😭

@ yourusername: love you too, muppet 😘

Interview with Lando Norris (2025):

Interviewer: So, you've just recently announced that you're dating Y/N L/N!

Lando Norris: Yes, I'm really happy about it.

Interviewer: Any plans to bring her to the next race?

Lando Norris: Maybe, we'll see. (laughs and smiles) The paddock is a lot cheerier when she's there, so hopefully, fingers crossed. I'm very, very lucky to call her mine.

─── ୨୧ ─── THE END ─── ୨୧ ───

[yesimwriting]

i NEED to see Louis having the biggest crashout of all crashouts over reader. He don’t play about the people he loves in his life.

Also, Im so curious about how he reacts/talks about her without her being in the room. We know he’s caring and funny to her face, but I want Daniel to notice Louis indeed does have someone close to him in modern age and ask him about her. Will Louis show Daniel her paintings Louis has in his home? (anonymously purchased with the highest offer, just so his bestie racks in some dollars. Bc we all know bestie reader would give him her work for free)

a/n i can't put into words how much i love this. louis is so lighthearted around reader, but he becomes so deeply un-chill the second something reminds him of her mortality.

omg the interview potential is too good 😭. i love that you used the word 'notice' bc i think daniel would pick up on a vibe (similar paintings all over the penthouse, louis periodically looking at his phone and smiling, louis occasionally using phrases that feel gen-z) so when reader actually comes up daniel's like yeah. there it is.

anyways, here's a fic that explores both louis talking about reader and louis crashing out over reader and her mortality :)

----

There's something about the painting serving as the living room's focal point, and the smaller piece in the foyer, and the art work decorating the guest room. Not necessarily a style or a specific theme, but some underlying quality that conveys a sense of unity between them.

"Are you recording yet?" The prompting is small and far from an accusation. Daniel still finds himself shifting slightly, his gaze tearing away from the painting as if he's been caught staring at something not meant for him to notice.

"Uh--yes." It takes him a second longer than it should to meet Louis's stare. "That's an interesting painting."

The corner of Louis's mouth tugs itself upwards at that, not quite a smile but something that feels incredibly warm. He turns his head slightly, looking back at the painting as if to re-experience the details of it. "It's from a dear artist of mine."

Daniel's immediately thrown by the phrasing. His attention shifts away from Louis and onto Armand, whose lips are pressed together but is otherwise giving no indication of how he feels. "...An artist of yours?"

"Don't get him started." Armand's warning feels much too tired to be amused.

Louis halfheartedly glares at his companion before returning his focus to Daniel. "There's an artist, and she's..." Louis trails off, his eyebrows drawing together as he thinks through the best way to make his point.

"His very best friend in the world," Armand finishes for him, the words flat in their blatant sarcasm.

"Stop it," Louis sighs, the defense so halfhearted Daniel has to believe that this is an argument they've had regularly enough. "She is my friend, but it...it sometimes feels so much more important than that."

Okay. So Louis has a friend--an important friend--that Armand doesn't seem to like. It's hard to imagine them embracing other vampires these days, but the thought of a human girl so casually and openly important to Louis and disliked by Armand is even harder for him to grasp.

"Yes, she's like you," Louis offers after a beat, "And it's not like that. She's--like family to me." Daniel's questions are distracting enough to dull the usual annoyance he feels when Louis enters his mind. "And Armand's a lot more accepting of her than he'd ever say."

Armand's gaze flits towards Louis. His lips are still pressed together, but he's not exactly frowning, and there's something behind his eyes that almost feels thoughtful. It's not so much his expression as it is his blankness. It's a neutrality that almost feels methodical. "Clearly."

Daniel reaches for his pen. This 'friendship' seems like the kind of thing that might warrant a few rewrites of the more current chapters. He'll need extensive notes for the sake of continuity.

"So," Daniel starts, "This artist..." Louis provides your name. Daniel writes it down, making a mental note to look you up online before his revisions for the sake of accuracy. "How old is she?"

"Twenty-two." It's not the most surprising thing. They've mentioned other friends and acquaintances in passing, and they're often close to the ages they resemble...but Daniel's never seen evidence of them in their home. And Louis has never spoken so fondly of a human before.

Daniel looks at the painting again. He still hasn't been able to decipher what makes your work feel so cohesive, but he's starting to think it might be feeling. For the briefest moment, it's almost enough to make him wish there was a way to keep someone he doesn't even know away from them.

"I know," Louis says flatly, something behind his eyes briefly hardening. "But we're...careful. I ne--"

"Does she know?"

For whatever reason, the question seems to remind Louis of his fondness for you. "She knows." Daniel resists the urge to sigh. Twenty-two and willingly running around with vampires. He's not exactly in a position to judge, but it's difficult not to.

Louis relaxes slightly, his hand moving to rest against his knee. "She even knows about you."

"Really?"

"Please, they don't go long enough without speaking for her to not know anything." Another passively-aggressive comment from Armand. Still, there's relevance in what he's implying. How close are you and Louis? And why does he choose to spend so much time with you?

Daniel hums once in acknowledgement of Armand's words as he finishes writing down his last thought. "Why?" The question feels like something crafted by a very bad journalist. Daniel tries again, "Why her? What about her made you want to be her friend?"

Louis is quiet for a long moment, and to Daniel's surprise, Armand allows it to pass without any sort of comment. "When I'm around her, I can almost remember what it felt like to have sunlight touch mortal skin."

There's an affection there that's impossible to deny. If Daniel didn't think you needed to be a part of this before...

"She sounds--nice."

Louis eases at Daniel's tentative approval. "She's funny, too." He relaxes, allowing his shoulders to slouch as he leans forward. "And talented--during her gallery debut, an anonymous bidder paid a hundred-thousand dollars over asking price for her first piece." Daniel writes down the detail. "I've got more paintings I can show you later."

Daniel has a feeling this isn't as much of an offer as it is an inevitability. He agrees anyway, "Yeah, later." He turns to a new page in his notebook, writing your name at the top before drawing a bullet point beneath it. He'll need to figure out where you fit within the larger narrative. "So how did you meet her?"

----

Interviewing vampires isn't that different from interviewing humans. Not when you disregard the lack of effort it'd take them to end your life if they dislike your line of questioning and focus on the stiffness that characterizes the beginning of each interview.

When individuals, human or otherwise, are made to dissect their thoughts and memories, they tend to be slow to share until they've answered a few questions and start to feel like they're having a genuine conversation. Daniel's used to the phenomenon, used to the shallowness of the answers provided earlier in the evening. What he isn't used to, however, is Louis's irritation.

"It felt like what you'd assume it'd feel like." The answer is so nondescript, Louis might as well have not said anything at all.

Daniel's instinct is to ask for elaboration, but Louis gives him a look that feels like a warning not to. Daniel glances at his notes, thinking through his latest line of questioning. Is this...a sensitive subject?

"Don't mind Louis." Armand's responds, answering the question that Daniel has yet to ask out loud. "He's beside himself because his darling angel hasn't answered him in almost two days."

Louis turns his head to look at Armand. "I'm not beside myself." The correction is sharp, but Daniel can't help but feel like Armand might have a point. Louis straightens to face Daniel again. "It's not like her. She either answers or tells me she's going to be busy."

It's a concern that's almost unnerving to witness. "...The artist?" Louis dips his chin downwards once in silent confirmation. "She's twenty-two, she probably just forgot--"

"She wouldn't forget me." There's a harshness to the interruption that Daniel sometimes forget Louis is capable of.

"No," the response is more a result of an instinct for self preservation than a genuine attempt at agreeing with him. "I didn't mean it like that." Surprise aside, there's something interesting about Louis's defensiveness. "There are a lot of reasons for someone to not answer their phone."

Louis's quiet for a moment, his expression slowly morphing into something more neutral. He's not exactly easing, but it's a step in the right direction. After another second of silence, Louis parts his lips. Before he can actually speak, he's interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.

Louis picks up the phone from the couch. He accepts the call so immediately, Daniel already knows who's on the other end. "Give me a minute," Louis mumbles as stands up.

Daniel sighs, leaning forward to pause the audio recording. At least Louis has a reason to come back in a better mood.

----

"No texts, no calls, you turned off your location--"

"I didn't want you to freak out."

The response only amplifies Louis's irritation. You didn't want him to freak out. What do you think he's been doing for the last day and a half? And what could possibly be so bad you needed to cut him out completely to keep it a secret?

Louis resists the urge to scoff. "What happened that was so bad you needed to keep it a secret from me?" The words are sharper than he usually is with you, and his phrasing isn't exactly fair, but he's not feeling very patient right now.

"It's not a secret--I just needed a second to deal with it before telling you." The vagueness only annoys Louis further. "I hurt my wrist." You pause, thinking through your wording, "I was out with a friend, and someone tapped the back of his car and I instinctually put my hand on the dash, and the pressure snapped my wrist."

What. "You were in a car accident?"

"No, it--" You cut yourself off with a partial sigh as you think through how to proceed. "It was a total fender bender. Josh's car isn't even totaled."

That's nowhere near as assuring as you think it is. "Thank God for that. Your arm's broken, but Josh's car is okay."

"My arm is fine." The defense means very little to him. "It's only my wrist." Louis rolls his eyes at the technicality. This is what he gets for leaving you alone. "But it's in a cast now, and in four to six weeks it'll be off."

The thought of you existing in New York by yourself, even more vulnerable than usual leaves a pit in his stomach. "I'm scheduling a flight."

"You don't need to do that." There's nothing surprising about the protest. "It's not a big deal, I've been checked out and the only thing wrong with me is my wrist." When Louis doesn't respond right away, you continue, "A lot of people break things."

Louis has never liked that kind of argument. You're not meant to be lumped into such a general category. "Those people aren't you."

The directness of the comment seems to soften you. There's a moment of hesitation, and then a reluctant sigh. "You're busy, you've got your book thing, and Armand--"

"If he has a problem with it, he can come, too." This should be enough to make the suddenness of their trip seem a lot less dramatic to you. Armand and him visit you semi-regularly, and they are over due for a trip. The thought of Armand being there might even be easing to you.

There's a brief stretch of silence, and then a careful, "You guys don't need to stop everything because I'm accident prone."

It'd be fair to argue that this isn't a result of your clumsiness. You were in someone else's car, and they weren't paying attention to the roads enough to keep you safe. Josh--you've mentioned him a few times in a variety of contexts, and Louis has yet to find a reason to be a fan. But that doesn't matter right now.

You're alone and even though you're not complaining, Louis can't help but imagine the pain you're probably in. You don't need to be lectured, and you don't need to hear anything that might make you worry about Josh. After a moment, he offers you something small, "Not your accident."

He wonders if there's a chance that you're injured in any other way. You said that you only broke your wrist, but that doesn't mean the accident didn't result in any superficial injuries. "Thanks." The word feels small. "I didn't call during a bad time, did I?"

Louis briefly thinks of Daniel and Armand waiting in the living room. "It's never a bad time to hear from you. Even when you're calling to tell me you've been in an accident."

"I considered texting, but I didn't want to give you a heart attack." He can hear the smile in your voice. "I really didn't like not talking to you."

It'd be easy for him to hold onto his worry, onto his anger, but he can't stand the thought of you being physically and emotionally wounded. "I didn't like it either." It didn't take much to hide this from him. There are so many ways in which you could be hurt, in which something could happen to you that he'd have no way of knowing about. "I also don't like the thought of you all alone."

There's the briefest crackle of static and then a soft sigh that feels like a yawn. "You sound like my mom."

"She's not wrong."

You sigh, the sound so familiar in its exasperation Louis is almost comforted by it. "You two have been on each other's side since Christmas."

The memory of meeting your mother when she came to visit you during the holiday season is one he's extremely fond of. It had been a brief shift, a small window into who you were before him, but everything about it had made him feel so normal. "I can't help that she's always right."

The crackly hum of movement briefly returns. Louis can picture you adjusting your hold on your cell phone. The thought is so tangible it only adds to the weight of your absence. "Why don't you come here?"

"Really?" He can hear the excitement bleeding into your voice. You recover quickly, the gentle static of movement briefly taking over the other end of the line. "You--you think that'd be okay? You have that writer over, and you're doing your--"

"Daniel's fine." In all honesty, Louis isn't sure if Daniel will mind another person around, but it doesn't matter. Injured or not, he can't imagine ever telling you to stay away from him. "He may even want to ask you a few things." That's true enough. Daniel was intrigued by the thought of Louis having a mortal friend. You'd be a good way at rounding out the modern era.

You're moving again. It isn't difficult for Louis to imagine you in your bedroom or on your couch, a heavy throw blanket on your lap. "I get to talk about you to a journalist?" The words are much too amused. "I'm going to tell him about the--" You're interrupted by your own laughter. "The club in Milan, with the LSD guy that smelled like--"

"Don't," it's a halfhearted attempt at stopping you, "We said we'd never tell anyone about that."

"I don't know, I think it's a story that deserves to be immortalized."

It's only an expression to you, but the reminder of the concept of permanence tarnishes the little peace the conversation has managed to bring him. Without intervention, you'll eventually vanish and leave him the sole holder of your shared memories. If he's not careful, that day might come sooner than it needs to. However, with intervention...

He pushes against the thought immediately. The prospect of turning you, of separating you from your soul for the sake of keeping you here is one that he only considers when he is at his most selfish.

Besides, he doubts he'd be able to bring himself to turn you himself. Armand is repulsed by the idea of having a fledgling, but there's a chance that he'd come around to the idea if you were the one to ask him. For all of his complaints and your shared bickering, something about the way that Armand never attempts to retaliate against you makes Louis think he might have a greater soft spot for you than he'd ever admit to.

Still, if Louis is allowing himself to imagine a completely self indulgent reality, the thought of Armand turning you doesn't fully fit into his ideal version of your transformation. Not when Armand's blood doesn't flow within his own veins. He banishes this thought more immediately than the last.

"Maybe I could be convinced to let you share that story if you agree to something."

You sigh in a way that's so incredibly telling. "You're not flying to New York to help me fly to Dubai."

Louis's not sure if he's more amused or irritated by your ability to read him. "I don't like the idea of you traveling by yourself, especially with a broken wrist."

He can practically feel you rolling your eyes. "It's this or no trip."

Louis doubts that you're extremely firm in this position, but he's willing to let you have a win. "You wouldn't do that to me."

You yawn, the sound low and tired. "Tough love."

"I'm not keeping you up, am I?" It's not particularly late, but there's a chance your body's exhausted. He'll have to read up on human injury before you get here. "You sound tired."

"The doctor gave me some pain killers for my wrist, and they make me kind of drowsy."

Great--you, all alone in your apartment, with a broken wrist, and painkillers in your system. The sooner Louis can get you here, the better. "You should get some sleep, I'll send you the flight information as soon as I have it."

"Okay." Your lack of questioning reveals more about your drowsiness than your words ever would. "Do you want me to send you my credit card info?"

"I've got it."

You let out a small breath that indicates resistance. "Louis."

There has to be a line somewhere. "It's this or no trip." He means the echoed phrase as much as you meant it, and Louis is convinced that you can that you can tell.

His hollow threat works. After a second, you give in with a small, "Okay." Wow, you must be more tired than you're letting on. "How long should I pack for?"

Louis isn't in the mood to think about your eventual departure. Fortunately, there's one topic that almost always works as a distraction. "Pack light, we'll go shopping when you get here."

"You so get me."

Louis smiles at that. "I know." The silence that follows feels a little less like a choice on your end. "Get some sleep, I'll send you the flight details tonight and I'll call you tomorrow." And then, just because he's not ready to let go of all his worry just yet, he adds, "Please answer."

"I was trying to spare you."

He doesn't doubt that at least some of your motivations were noble, but he also knows you, and he knows how you feel about his general wariness of the world around you. "That was the opposite of sparing me."

"Fine." You let out a breath, and Louis can practically feel you rolling your eyes. "My beloved Louis de Pointe du Lac, I promise to never intentionally ignore your calls again." The sarcasm in your voice isn't enough to taint the sentiment. You really do mean it.

Louis is nearly overwhelmed by his fondness for you. Things will be better, easier when you're here. "That's all I ask." You're quiet in a way that makes it impossible to not feel your drowsiness. "Goodnight, love you."

"Goodnight," you echo, "Love you. Tell Armand I said 'hi'."

"I will," he says, "Now get some sleep."

You mumble a response he can't fully make out before hanging up.

----

It's earlier in the evening than Louis wants it to be.

You're asleep in your own apartment, but it's difficult to not think about things much more gruesome than that. You kept the accident from him so easily, and you're at a greater physical disadvantage than you usually are.

You're also alone, not that you're safer when you're with others. The thought of the boy that allowed the accident to happen only adds to Louis's irritation. Josh. Josh, who crashes vehicles. Josh, who must have done something to make you think the accident was your fault in some way.

Louis pushes against the feelings. Josh, the details of the accident, the state that you're in. There will be time to deal with all of it later. He just needs to get through tonight. You'll be here tomorrow.

"It's still early," Louis's words are sulkier than he wants them to be, "We could go out for a bit."

"If you want to." Armand's response is slow and almost painfully nondescript in a way that suits the way he's been all evening.

Louis lets out a partial scoff. "What is it?" Armand angles his head to the side slightly in a display of synthetic confusion. "You've been passive aggressive all evening. What is it?" Armand doesn't respond. "Was it my worry? The phone call? The fact that I can't leave her alone like that?"

"You shouldn't have left her at all." The response is surprising enough to briefly silence Louis. "I told you it was only a matter of time before something happened to her."

The novelty of Armand almost expressing concern over you fades, leaving an unstable irritation in its wake. What right does Armand have to accuse Louis of abandoning you? Maybe if Armand didn't treat you like a puppy he didn't want, you would have wanted to live near them. "I didn't leave her--she chose not to move."

"You could have tried harder."

Louis blinks, his surprise clouding the potential anger. "Maybe if you didn't threaten her after every comment."

Armand's eyebrows draw together as if the possibility of you not enjoying your halfhearted spats had never occurred to him. "I have never once attempted to hurt her."

The distinction means very little to Louis. It's a statement that doesn't need to be made, because if Louis had sensed so much as an inkling of actual malice towards you on Armand's end, Armand would have never been allowed to be alone with you.

"We're different than her." The words are directed at Armand, but Louis's thoughts still latch onto the ways in which they apply to him as well. "After awhile, it has to be off putting to always be reminded of that."

Armand notes the thinly veiled self hatred immediately. As exhausting as it is to constantly hear about the poor saint cursed to be surrounded by such vile creates, it's even more draining to watch these sentiments impact Louis...and you.

He stands from his spot on the couch slowly, approaching Louis with slow, measured steps. "If you believe she's afraid of either of us, you are severely underestimating her."

Louis eases, the corner of his mouth tugging itself into something that comes close to resembling a smile. "You're not wrong about that." Armand extends an arm, placing a comforting hand on Louis's shoulder. Louis reciprocates the gesture, his hand coming to rest against Armand's forearm. "It's just hard not to worry."

To Armand, the response is a painful understatement. Louis worries about all that could happen in his absence, he worries about all that's wrong about his presence. Things would be so much easier if he'd get over the paranoia of 'ruining' you.

"You wouldn't have to worry so much if she was here more." Armand drags his thumb against Louis's shoulder. "Maybe this visit should be a little longer."

Louis's expression softens at that. "I'll do what I can to keep her here while she has a cast." He's never once asked you to leave, but he's aware of the temporary nature of your visits. You start missing your home and the access to whatever you need to create whatever you want. "But she starts to miss her home, and her studio."

"There's space here," Armand offers carefully, "You could give her a room." Louis's eyebrows pull together at the suggestion. "You're different when she's with you." Armand continues to trace patterns against Louis's shoulder. "And it's important we preserve that."

Louis's eyebrows draw together again, his confusion a little sharper this time. "Preserve it?"

"Human emotions are fleeting. The more time she spends away from you, the more likely she is to find more permanent relationships." Armand doesn't have to meet Louis's gaze to know that the implication has served its purpose. "And if she finds other people, falls in love and gets married, you can't expect things to stay the same between you."

Armand squeezes Louis's shoulder a little more firmly, a gesture meant to convey something comforting. "As your companion, I'm capable of grasping your relationship and even then, sometimes it's difficult to accept. Do you think some human boy would have the same patience? The same understanding?"

Louis frowns. Worrying about losing you to your mortality is a simple thing, but accepting the fact that he could just as easily lose you to change is nowhere near as easy. "I'm--I'm not going to make her do something she doesn't want."

Armand has to work at keeping his expression neutral. Louis's obsession with your free will is often a limiting thing. "Then we'll make sure she wants to."

----

manipulation is a love language, i promise <3

[popcat69]

Incorrect Tmnt quotes

Mikey: What does 'take out' mean? Donnie: Food. Leo: Dating Raph: Murder Y/n: IT CAN MEAN ALL THREE IF YOU'RE NOT A COWARD.

Donnie: Favourite horror movie?

Mikey: It

Raph: Saw

Leo: Annabelle

Y/n: High School Musical. after watching it I spent all my middle school years terrified that the entire school would start singing something and I’d be the only one who didn’t know the lyrics

Leo: Croissants: dropped

Raph: Road: works ahead

Y/n: BBQ sauce: on my titties

April: Shavacado: fre

Mikey: Miss Keisha: fuckin dead

Donnie:

Donnie: I didn’t understand a single word of that and I hate every single one of you.

Y/n: Change is inedible.

Donnie: Don't you mean inevitable?

Y/n, spitting out coins: No, I did not.

Mikey: Hey Donnie,

Donnie: Yes?

Mikey: Can a person breathe inside a washing machine while it’s on?

Donnie:

Donnie: Where’s Y/n?

Donnie: April isn’t answering their phone

Y/n: I’ll call

Donnie: Casey and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi-

April: Hello?

Y/n: Top 30 reasons why y/n is sorry... Number 5 will surprise you!

Raph: Top 30 anime deaths. Number One: YOUR FUCKING ASS RIGHT NOW!!!

Mikey: I'm incredibly fast at maths.

Y/n: Alright, what's 30x17?

Mikey: 47

Y/n: That's not even close.

Mikey: But it was fast.

Donnie: Would you guys be there for me if I was going through something?

Raph: Nope, absolutely not.

Leo: I hope it sucks, whatever you're going through.

Mikey: I hope it emotionally scars you for the rest of your life.

Casey: I hope you reach out to me so I can ignore you.

Y/n: I can't wait to go to your funeral, knowing I could've changed that outcome.

*Everyone is standing around the broken coffee maker*

Splinter: So. Who broke it? I'm not mad, I just wanna know.

Everyone:

Leo: ...I did. I broke it.

Splinter: No. No you didn't. Mikey?

Mikey: Don't look at me. Look at Y/n.

Y/n: What?! I didn't break it.

Mikey: Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?

Y/n: Because it's sitting right in front of us and it's broken.

Mikey: Suspicious.

Y/n: No, it's not!

Raph: If it matters, probably not, but April was the last one to use it.

April: Liar! I don't even drink that crap!

Raph: Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee cart earlier?

April: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that, Raph!

Leo: Okay let's not fight. I broke it. Let me pay for it, person A.

Splinter: No! Who broke it!?

Everyone:

Raph: Splinter... Donnie’s been awfully quiet.

Donnie: rEALLY?!

*Everyone starts arguing*

Splinter, being interviewed: I broke it. I burned my hand so I punched it.

Splinter: I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig head on a stick.

Splinter:

Splinter: Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.

'Can I copy the homework?'

Donnie: I can help you with it!

April: Yeah, sure.

Y/n: Bold of you to assume I did the homework.

Raph: lol nope.

Mikey: Wait, we had homework?!?!?!

Leo: *Read 5:55pm*

Leo: bitches b like “im baby” but have childhood trauma and neglect like wtf do u know about being baby u were forced to grow up from an early age anyways I’m bitches

Leo, driving y/n and April: So how was your day?

Y/n: We almost got surprise adopted!

Leo: What?

April: We almost got kidnapped.

Leo: Oh, okay.

Leo: *slams on the breaks* WAIT WHAT?!

[mclager]

And McLaren will call them... | Landoscar x reader

I was doing what a good girlfriend does as her boyfriends are doing media stuff, watching tiktok, McLaren's tiktoks, it is a great thing to pass time. As I was watching it I ended up seeing one of the best (and worse) captions ever! McLaren calling them siblings, the same McLaren that knows that they are in a full blown relationship. Since Oscar started to be more open about being close with Lando, McLaren started to freak out saying that people couldn't know anything about our relationship. Well, after that Oscar signed his multiple years contract with McLaren and decided that his new catch frase would be "We're going to grow old together." He just loved the idea of being a menace to PR, and Lando watched it with a proud smile on his face. Now socials are probably just trying to combat the wildfire Oscar caused.

They came back after the media stuff straight into Lando's drivers room where I was chilling. Lando was picking on Oscar for something as he did almost all the time.

"A lot of more Landoscar moments?" Lando said chuckling as he poked Oscar's waist.

"Since when you know the ship name?"

"Since the interview we just did. Osc just out of nowhere said it."

"Isn't that cute? Our chronically online boyfriend." I said making Oscar roll his eyes.

"I'm not chronically online, you're."

"Yeah, I am. At least I'm not being 'sibling coded' with my boyfriend." Both boys looked so confused which made me laugh.

"What are you talking about?" Lando asked and I showed my phone with the McLaren video, Lando was shocked, but he also was laughing at the desperation that PR is on right now, Oscar was just pissed.

"Not wanting us to display our relationship I get it even if it's bullshit, the sport is ran by old men, but from that to call us siblings? Too far."

"Osc, calm down, socials are just trying to end the Landoscar trend I guess."

"Oh, but now they're fucked."

One thing about Oscar? When he gets pissed, you get out of his way.

"Babe, watch out, you don't want to get fired."

"I won't be, trust me."

And right then and there started a series of things that would send PR to a coma. Started with them walking a little too close, then the laughs, then Lando was congratulating Osc with a little slap on the bum, then Oscar saying that they're a good match especially off track, or mentioning that they had dinner together after a race instead of going partying. It was the little things that would be ok if McLaren didn't know what Oscar was trying to do.

PR ran fast to tell Oscar to stop saying shit in the interviews, and it only made the evil genius happier as his plan was really bothering them. When they said to stop in interviews, he thought 'why not on real life then?'. It was a normal thing for us to have dinner together, but normally we try to not go on the paparazzi filled restaurants, but now? Oh well, sounds like a good idea to Oscar, and Lando was happy to oblige. I couldn't go on the first two or three (which was incredible for the Landoscar agenda given all the tiktoks made about it), but at the fourth I was there.

"How it's going with the Landoscar plan?" I asked sipping on my drink.

"Great, I'm loving being used." Lando said making Oscar laugh.

"I'm not using you, drama boy." Lando put his hand near Oscar's and linked his pinky with his.

"You're, but I'll let it slide because you look good."

"Pretty privilege is crazy." I said chuckling, Oscar rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Anyway, let me put you on the loop since you were too busy for us. PR almost tried to ban us having dinner dates."

"There's no way."

"They tried, but Zac and Andrea were digging the free marketing." Oscar nodded agreeing with Lando.

"One trip and you two are making people cry. That's my boys." Lando reached across the table to hold my hand.

"Tell us about the trip, I want all the gossip."

"Oh, I have lots." We started to talk about all the drama that happened on my trip with my friends, it was an amazing dinner.

"Which house we're going?" I asked before walking through the door that was being held by Oscar.

"Lando's."

"I'm going to get the car, you can wait here." Lando said and started to walk through some fans that were there, Oscar also went to take pictures with them as I was looking from a distance. Not so long after Lando came back and I just got in the back seat as Oscar got in the passenger beside Lando. He caressed Lando's hair as he started to drove away.

"McLaren will kill us, you know that right?" Lando said and Oscar nodded.

"I hope this is enough for them to understand that we're not sibling coded, Jesus, I'm pissed."

"I'm only here for the drama." I said and Lando chuckled.

"We know." It was a fun night, after dinner we watched a cheesy movie and slept on the couch. I woke up in bed with Lando, Oscar was nowhere to be found, but I was hearing him in the distance, he sounded nervous. I called Lando a couple times before he woke up.

"What's wrong?"

"Osc, he is talking on the phone."

"And?"

"Sounds like something is wrong." Lando picked his phone to see if he had received something and he had. "Oh fuck, PR is pissed. He look cute, don't we?" He showed me a picture of us on the restaurant, laughing at the table, under it a picture of Oscar with his hand on Lando's hair inside the car.

"We do. What do you think they're talking with Oscar?"

"Probably they're trying to make him stop to do this." He showed me a picture of Him and Oscar with their hands way to close while they were smiling lovingly to eachother.

"You two are so cute."

"You're too, darling." Oscar walked in and looked at us.

"Fuck, I woke you up? I'm sorry." I reached my hand and when he held my hand, I pulled him to sit down with us.

"You didn't, it's fine. What happened?"

"I had a fight with my PR manager, a long one, trying to figure out something that could work out for us and McLaren."

"And what you agreed on?" Lando asked putting his head on my stomach to see Oscar better.

"So... First I said that they needed to stop to call us siblings, brothers, or anything weird like that, and they agreed. They asked for us to tone down the dates, but I asked for less interventions on what we do out of the media's eyes, they said ok, but after everything calm down. We need to have a proper meeting with everyone, PR, Zac and Stella, and our managers. You're invited too, love." He looked at me and I nodded.

"Should I go?"

"Of course! This affects you too, darling." Lando said and I nodded.

"Look, this isn't the best, but is going to be better."

"If I'm with my two loves, I'm happy. Don't worry, Oscariño." Lando pulled Oscar to a group hug. I chuckled and hugged them.

"I agree with Lando. No matter what if I'm here, I'm happy."

"I love you two so much!"

"We love you too." Osc gave us a quick kiss and hugged us back.

"Then let's think about this later, today is a off day."

"It's a us day."

[cryinggirlnamedhelen]

like hollywood and me; that diamond on your ring

synopsis ; diamond rings? pretty common. but diamond rings on your left ring finger while dating the world’s most famous soccer player? definitely not common.

cw ; isagi x fem!reader, characters are aged up (isagi is 24)

now playing ; margaret by lana del rey

isagi yoichi was always among the most trending searches on any platform. usually, it was to search up some sort of incredible goal that he scored or some sort of insult he had thrown at a teammate. occasionally it would be about his relationship with you, perhaps after a cute and romantic social media post or something lovesick that he did with you after a match, such as immediately running over to you and kissing you.

but this time, the most trending search for isagi was isagi marriage.

paparazzi and journalists went crazy, fans went crazy, everyone went crazy. all because of a instagram post made by you, isagi’s girlfriend, of all people. it was a picture of your left hand, except there was something more to it. a gleaming blue diamond sat atop an intricately designed golden band on your ring finger.after zooming in and a few hours of analysis later, a fan even deduced that your name was on the band of the ring. the caption for your post? well, it certainly didn’t help anyone calm down.

guess who just got engaged? @realisagiyoichi, love you🫶

fans and other celebrities bombarded the comment section with both disbelief and congratulatory responses, although some bitter fans left some pretty nasty hate comments, but opposed to what you expected, the responses were overwhelmingly positive.

bachibeemegs : WHATWHATWHAT YOU AND ISAGI ARE GETTING MARRIED CONGRATS!!!🎉🥳👏🎊

reomikageofficial : Congratulations, Isagi and (Y/n). I’m happy for you guys and I wish you guys a happy marriage.

nagisei : congrats :x

shidoufreakyusei : guys im the flower girl trust😈

chigiri.hyoma : you bagged a baddie. im surprised. but congrats anyways, isagi and (y/n).

otoyaeitabrrrr : dont fumble the baddie isagi

karasutabitoe : Congratulations. Try not to get her to divorce you.

hioriyonoquierodinero : Congratulations!😊

charleschevalirizzler : skibidi sigma ohio isagi, you have so much rizz

michaelkaiser_official : ew

isagi took a deep breath, standing right outside the exit of the bastard münchen hq, getting ready for any questions that the media could bombard him with. he had left extra early today just so he could avoid intrusive questions at 8 in the morning, but now that it was 4 in the afternoon, he can’t avoid those questions any longer.

he stepped outside, and just as expected, paparazzi cameras instantly flashed into his eyes as the media crowded him. “isagi, isagi! can you please tell us about your marriage?”

“will you be taking a break from soccer?”

“will you be retiring?”

“do you want any kids?”

“when’s the wedding?”

“does this deny the rumors that you and bachira are gay?”

“uh, one at a time, please.” isagi stated, standing stiff as a board. he should be used to the media already, but he was still just a bit shy with them. “i’ll be taking a break. maybe for seven or eight months; honestly, as long as i can get. i won’t be retiring. kids…yeah, definitely want some, but that’s (y/n)’s choice, not mine. the wedding will probably be sometime in the summer. we’re still planning.” he ignored the last question.

poor isagi was stuck there in the media’s grasp for almost an entire hour before he finally mustered up enough courage to stop the interviews and drive home, his social battery completely drained at this point. stepping into your shared apartment, isagi practically collapsed onto the couch.

“you good? you look dead.” you remarked, stabbing him with a spatula.

“nooooo, leave me alone, im dead.” isagi muttered, turning around to lay on his side. “i really hate paparazzi.” your cat came over, jumping onto the couch and laying on isagi’s body. “why is she so heavy…?”

“you fatten her up all the time, maybe that’s why.” you replied. “get up, fatass. i made dinner.” you poked him with a spatula once more. “i made katsudon.”

isagi nearly jumped up, your cat practically slipping off of his body. “really?! thanks, i really love you!” isagi exclaimed, practically sprinting over to the kitchen. you sat on the couch, holding your fluffy cat in your hands.

“god, your dad’s such a big back. you get your genes from him.” you murmured, stroking your cat’s fur as she purred. “imagine he gets a beer belly when he’s in his forties. now that’ll be hilarious.”

“hey! i heard that!”

you ignored him, continuing to talk to and stroke your cat. but isagi stood leaning against the kitchen’s doorway, arms crossed, his eyes soft as he stared at you. at the end of the day, it didn’t really matter if you were engaged or married or dating. he loved you, no matter what label anyone puts on it.

domesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagidomesticisagi

[mooosicaldreamz]

follow the signs (supercorp)

this is for @ekingston's crazy prompt-a-whirl thingy. i got fluff + fake dating + forced to share a cab + fortune cookie which was very lucky in my opinion. and they all start with f! wow. anyway here it is, sitting at EXACTLY 1K. here's the thingy if you want to do it too.

Kara is waiting for a cab. It is midnight in Jacksonville, Florida. She’s here for a wedding she’d planned to avoid, but then Mon-El had called her and Kara had lied out her butt and said yes, me and my girlfriend will be there. And it hadn’t even been grammatically correct, let alone true.

Kara didn’t have a girlfriend. She had a career and hopes for a puppy. She and Mon-El had broken up a year ago and that’d been her last romance.

Lena had been a random choice for her fake girlfriend, the only person Kara could think of who she was close enough to ask to participate in this harebrained scheme, but also someone who had never met Mon-El. She and Lena had met at a press conference when Kara had cornered Lena in a hallway and been tased by Lena’s security guards.

Lena had been less than pleased with their actions and had offered Kara a one-on-one interview, and it’d been off to the races from there. It was nice to have a new, different kind of friend - Lena was rich, too smart for her own good, and indulged Kara more than others might advise. Case in point: they are sitting on a bench outside Jacksonville International at midnight.

“I’m starving,” Kara laments, digging through her bag in the hopes that she’ll unearth something.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call a chauffeur?” Lena asks.

“No, the cab should be here soon,” Kara sighs. “I’m sorry for this mess, Lena. I know this probably isn’t how you like to travel.”

“I don’t mind,” Lena shrugs. “Flights get delayed whether they’re private or not, and it’s not as though commercial domestic first class is terrible. I think you’re overestimating my need for fancy things.”

“Tell that to your Balenciaga sweatshirt,” Kara says. Lena smacks at her lazily. She’s so pretty, is the thing. Kara could have gone out and got a real girlfriend, or asked someone Mon-El hadn’t known well, but when she’d settled down a few weeks ago and convinced herself to go through with her nonsensical lie, Lena had been the only option in her mind. She’d been the only option she even wanted to consider.

“Is that them?” Lena asks, nodding as a bright orange cab pulls up. Kara jumps up excitedly - and then stalls as the driver climbs out of the car and comes sprinting around the hood directly at her.

“Kara!” Mon-El yells.

“Frick,” Kara mutters as he pulls her into a hug. She looks over at Lena with wide eyes and makes sure to enunciate: “Mon-El, it’s so good to see you!”

She watches as Lena raises one eyebrow and then sighs loudly with an incredible amount of boredom. It distracts Mon-El enough that Kara can withdraw from his cloying hug. He’s sweating. It’s gross.

“Hi, you must be Kara’s girlfriend!” he says enthusiastically. Lena shuffles closer to Kara’s side until she can grip Kara’s whole elbow in her fingers in a vaguely possessive way. 

“Yes, this is Lena,” Kara says, nearly swallowing her tongue. She and Lena are not really touchy, which is not how Kara would prefer it, but Lena is sometimes shy and unsure and one time Kara had hugged her in greeting and Lena had almost cried, so Kara’s been taking it slow. This is the fourth time they’ve touched with this amount of intention today alone. It’s a new record. Maybe Jacksonville wouldn’t be so bad. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Mon-El,” he grins, looking happy. “Just making a little extra cash before the big day this Sunday. Did you guys just get in?”

“Yeah,” Kara says, grabbing Lena’s suitcase as well as her own and starting to wheel them over to the curb. Mon-El had always hated when she did things that were, per his understanding of the world, things the guy does, which she had on rare occasions found sweet.

It doesn’t matter now, because Kara is swiftly and decisively entering Lena Luthor girlfriend mode. And that includes putting the suitcases in the back of the cab, despite the fact that Lena’s is tagged overweight and nearly breaks her wrist.

When she turns back after shutting the trunk, Lena is smiling at her, and Kara is pretty sure that Jacksonville might really be alright. She takes Lena Luthor girlfriend mode a step further, opening the passenger side door for Lena and waiting gallantly for her to slide in before closing it. 

Mon-El looks giddy when they meet face-to-face at the driver’s side. He points subtly down at the cab and goes, “Dude. Hell yeah.” And then he raises up his hand for a high-five.

When Mon-El hadn’t been the most infuriating boyfriend possible, Kara had liked him. This was one of the reasons why. She smacks her palm into his and then slides into the car, smiling probably dopily over at Lena, who smiles back before digging into her leather tote purse thing and extends, out of nowhere, a fortune cookie.

“I think this is from when we got Chinese last week,” Lena says, shrugging. “If you’re still hungry.”

“I am so hungry, you are the best,” Kara gasps. Lena laughs at her as she pulls the package open and the cab pulls away from the curb. When she cracks it in half, she shoves half of it in her mouth and unfurls the paper. She laughs at what she reads. “It is time you ask that special someone on a date.”

She watches as Lena’s cheeks go a little pink in the lights beginning to whiz by. She’s pretty.

“Oh, Mr. Fortune Cookie, Kara’s already there,” Mon-El says. Lena laughs quietly. Kara reaches out to grasp her hand where it’s clutched in the supple leather of her bag, initiating their fifth consequential touch of the day. Lena looks at her for a long second before she moves to lace their fingers together. 

Jacksonville is gonna be so good. She can feel it.

[cowboylikefaith]

with great power...

art donaldson spiderman! au x reader

summary: stanford has a masked superhero on the loose, and you're trying to crack down on his identity. little do you know, it's your boyfriend art.

warnings: cursing, injuries, reader highkey gets mugged, art is being mysterious af, reader is incredibly oblivious, sappy at the end sorry, not proofread

author's note: HI so this is actually my first time writing a fic ever... but this au idea has been absolutely rotting in my brain for the past week or so and i need to get it out. enjoy!!!!!!

╰🕸️ ₊✧ ﾟ❤️⚬𓂂➢

"dude!" you say barging into art's dorm (not realizing that your poor boyfriend was in the middle of a nap) "look at the topic the newspaper just assigned me. some shithead on campus is doing parkour in a scuba suit, people are calling him 'spiderman'."

art is pulled out of his trance-like state when he hears the name fall out of your mouth. you feel bad after realizing you woke him up, seeing him wipe his tired eyes with a pout on his lips. "hey pretty" he says with a lopsided smirk on his face "what were you talking about? some spider-idiot?" you hop into bed next to him "yeah it's nothing...sorry for waking you up, just go back to bed, 'kay?"

you don't know what's been up with art recently. he rarely returns your calls, he's always tired, and when he's awake, he's either in a rush or incredibly sluggish. you asked patrick about it and he said that the beginning of a new tennis season is wearing both of them down. seems reasonable, right?

now, it's been a few weeks since you were assigned this story, and jess (your senior editor) wants you to photograph and interview this spiderman guy, because apparently he's some kind of campus superhero (returning stolen laptops, helping drunk sorority girls avoid getting hit by cars, the usual) however you have no leads so far.

until one day, tashi tells you a story about how he saved a freshman from the tennis team from being hazed, and you decide to ask your boyfriend about it.

"you don't know anything about a kid named steven mcdonald, do you?" you ask art as you settle down to watch some gossip girl.

"that freshman who survived a hazing incident? yeah, i know of him" he replies as he pulls you into his arms and kisses your forehead.

you pull away with furrowed eyebrows "well did he...say...anything about that night?"

"uh no. no, not really" he says (a little distantly) "anyway! i seriously don't understand why serena loves dan so much, nate is obviously the better choice for her."

you roll your eyes sarcastically "wow donaldson...really smooth transition! way to change the subject there honey."

"i'm sorry.." he replies as he plays with your hair "it's just that...i don't want you getting mixed up in that kind of stuff. if you got hurt.." he sighs "i don't know what i'd do with myself"

and so you promise art that you'll stop working on the article...until jess says she'll kick you out of the stanford star if you do.

one night, as you're walking back to your dorm after dinner with tashi and patrick (third wheel much?), a man in a black ski mask suddenly approaches you and orders you to put your hands up.

"give me your fucking heels lady...and your purse!" he demands.

"oh god no" you shut your eyes and groan "please sir, these are really expensive and- and these are manolo blahniks!! my mom bought-"

before you can finish your rambling, you can hear a thud, and when open your eyes, you can see that he's been wrapped up in some web-like substance.

"don't worry, he's not dead" a figure says as he walks out from behind the criminal. you feel like you know him, you can't even see his face but something about him is just so familiar, and you can't put your finger on it. until..

oh my god

"oh my god! you're spiderman! thank you so much, seriously. that guy could've killed me" you say excitedly, forgetting about your past opinions about him.

art- i mean spiderman, chuckles and says that it's no problem, and asks if he could take you back to your dorm.

"yeah! i would love that, thank you." you reply "actually, could i take your photo? i'm doing an article about you for the stanford star." oh and art eats it UP. he's doing stupid poses and acting silly and goofy (just to hear you laugh of course).

you get back to your dorm safely, and spiderart bids you farewell. just before he leaps out your window, he pulls a red stanford cap (one that you've never noticed, and one that looks suspiciously like art's) out of his pocket.

"hey, maybe i'll see you around" he says as he puts the cap on...backwards. something that only art would do. lucky enough for him, you're too tired to notice.

"...and those are the differences between meiosis and mitosis." you're trying to study for another biology exam when all of a sudden you hear a tapping noise on your window.

at first you think it's a bird, or some frat boy trying to piss you off by throwing empty beer cans at your window, but the tapping turns into banging and you start to hear sounds of pain through the glass.

you run to the window and see a boy in a familiar red and blue suit sitting on the windowsill. this time with a huge gash in his side.

"spiderman? oh my god, get inside, what happened?" you ask while scrambling for a first aid kit. art falls onto your bed, unknowingly bleeding all over your new floral sheets. he groans and holds his side, mumbling something about...well god knows what.

art protests as you try to patch up the very open wound by his waist. "you're just like my boyfriend art," you say with a grin "he gets all fucked up during his tennis matches and doesn't let me help him out." you can hear him through the mask but you can't tell if it's a laugh or a whimper.

"jesus- how long is this going to take? i have an econ final to study for" he says with a wince. "not very long if you sit still, spiderboy" you retort "why don't you take off your mask? you must be dying with that thing on."

you feel his face, and it feels...familiar. you slowly take off the mask, and reveal art's lips, sculpted nose, blue and brown eyes, and tousled blonde hair.

suddenly you realize. you realize the reasons for the missed calls, hurried kisses, and rain-checked dates. all this time you've been thinking that it was tennis kicking his ass, when really art was kicking other people's.

"hi honey" art mumbles, same lopsided, boyish smile that you fell in love with gracing his face "i'm sorry. i should have told you." before you can say anything, he kisses you and sneaks his hands to the small of your back. you can feel him smiling into the kiss as he pulls you into his lap.

"i missed you" you say, pulling away with a pout. you card your hands through his blonde curls. "i know, i know, i'm sorry pretty girl, it's just that...i don't want you to worry about me." art replies, pushing your hair away from your face.

you flick his forehead. "you dumbass. of course i'm going to worry about you, whether you like it or not...because i like you. a lot. no matter what kind of freaky superpowers you have." art lets out a weak chuckle, then he kisses you like a man stuck in the desert for 40 days. you can feel him drawing small circles along your hips and caressing your thumb.

you pull away one last time. "now tell me spiderboy...how did you go from tennis team captain to stanford superhero?"

[charliegyrth]

The Lottery Winner - 1 of 2

My Amazing New Job

Hi, everyone! Charlie here. I wrote this story based on a suggestion from one of my readers. Anonymous, wherever you are, I hope you like this story!

***

I didn’t expect the job interview to be by the side of a pool.

I’d catered plenty of events for eccentric rich people, and every single one of them had been a mixture of professional and condescending. Usually, they’d meet me in their drawing room (or “foyer” or whatever) and tell me a long list of what they do and don’t want. They depended on my services, so they treated me with respect (more or less), but at no point did any of them want me to feel comfortable in their fancy mansions.

So when Grant himself (not his butler) greeted me at the front door and gave me a tour of the place, I was a bit surprised. He took me into his courtyard and had me sit across from him in the shade of an umbrella. He even had lemonade waiting for me.

“The weather’s really nice today, huh?” he asked, smiling.

He was quite a handsome man. Tan. Muscular. Black hair and very dark eyes. He wore a loose gray shirt and torn blue jeans. He looked very blue-collar, and very out-of-place surrounded by all this opulence.

“Yeah,” I said. “Nice and breezy.”

That wasn’t a joke, but he laughed anyway. “I look around sometimes, and I still can’t believe that I live here.” Then he glanced away. “Sorry. I probably sound like an entitled snob, huh?”

“Not at all.” In fact, he was the first rich guy I’d met who didn’t sound like a snob. Most people with enough money to afford a place like this take everything for granted. They surround themselves with beauty and then refuse to appreciate it. Not Grant.

“Good,” he said, laughing again. “This is all so new to me. I won the lottery a few months back and I moved here three weeks ago. I’m still adjusting.”

“Wow.” I always thought the lottery was a scam. I barely knew this guy, but I could tell that he was genuine, that for once, all that money went to the right person.

He clapped his hands together. “Tell me about yourself, Bradley!”

I assumed he was asking about my professional experience. Despite how friendly he was acting, this was still a job interview. “Well, I went to Le Gran Culinary School. I was sous chef for three years at Langley’s in Vegas. And for the last three years, I’ve been head chef at—”

“Marcone’s,” he finished for me.

“Yeah.”

“That’s why I know you’ll be perfect. I’ve eaten there like ten times since I got rich, and my God, the food is incredible!”

“Thank you.”

“I actually saw you a couple times, too. Talking to your workers or whatever. You always seemed so… nice. Not, you know, Gordon-Ramsay-ing at people.”

“Thank you,” I said again. I trained under some real monsters, so I always tried to treat my crew with respect. They worked better that way.

“So?” Grant said. “Will you take the job?”

“Um, aren’t you gonna ask me more questions?”

“No,” he said very casually. “Don’t need to. And I really, really need a cook. I work in construction. Well, worked, I guess. I have this big fancy kitchen now and the only food I can make is cold cereal.”

I took a long sip of his lemonade, forcing myself not to flinch at the tartness. It was terrible.

This was the single easiest job interview of my life. No hard questions. No questions at all, really. Just a friendly, extremely handsome guy who liked my cooking and wanted me as his live-in chef. I knew that I should take some time to think about it, but I just had this feeling that I was meant to be here.

“I’d love to work for you, Grant.”

***

Grant stepped out of the pool, pushing back his dripping hair. It took all my strength not to stare like a cartoon character. When I started working here a week ago, I had no idea that my employer was so freaking hot. I knew he was handsome, obviously. His dark eyes and sharp jaw gave his face definite movie-star vibes. But seeing him shirtless, seeing how a decade of construction work had hardened his body… I mean, Jesus. The guy looked like he could be on the cover of a romance novel.

I also didn’t realize just how often he’d go around shirtless. He spent huge stretches of the day longing in the pool, and often, he’d get out of the water and just remain shirtless.

It was so difficult to act professional around him, to look him in the eyes when all I wanted to do was stare at his developed, dark-haired chest. He wasn’t gay, of course, so the unobtainability helped, for sure. He always treated me like a friend instead of an employee, though, and there were times when his friendliness verged on flirting.

All in my head, though.

He walked from the pool to the table, still dripping wet. I had just set out his lunch, two submarine sandwiches and a salad. He had a huge appetite (and always finished his meals), so it was genuinely amazing that he had maintained his godlike physique.

I waited at the table, just in case he needed anything else. (Sometimes he asked for a bowl of ice cream to go with his lunch.) He smiled gratefully at the food. “Looks amazing as always.”

“Thank you, Grant.” (He told me multiple times not to call him sir.) “Would you like anything else?”

“Actually, yeah. But you can say no if you want.”

I wouldn’t say no if he asked for a kidney. He paid me a fortune and I got to live in this mansion. “Anything you want.”

“Can you eat with me? I’d like the company.”

I felt my cheeks blush. “Absolutely. Just give me a second.”

I ran back inside and grabbed my own sandwich. Whenever I cooked for Grant, I always made an extra (smaller) portion for myself. I wasn’t much of an eater.

He was already chowing down on his first sandwich when I came back and sat across from him. Even when he was scarfing down food, he looked handsome. I liked watching him enjoy my work. I really did.

“How are you liking it here so far?” he asked through a mouthful of food.

“Love it. Really.”

“Great,” he said. “You know, you remind me a lot of my ex Jennifer. Great cook. Happy all the time.”

That comment gave me some mixed feelings. I was glad that he liked my personality, that he thought I was “happy all the time” even though he was the one constantly laughing and smiling. And I guess I liked that I reminded him of his ex. I didn’t like that he was comparing me to a woman, though.

“Thanks.”

“Oh,” he mumbled. “I offended you.”

I shrugged.

“Sorry, B.” (He’d started calling me B instead of Bradley. I was on the fence about that.) “I’m not used to, you know…”

“Talking with gay people?” I asked.

He flinched. “Having employees.” Then he looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “You’re gay?”

I laughed. I thought he was joking. Everyone who met me knew I was gay. My kindergarten teacher knew it. Then I realized he was dead serious. “Yeah. I am.”

“Oh,” he said. It was the most neutral-sounding “oh” you could imagine. I couldn’t tell if he was totally fine with it or if he was freaked out and wanted to fire me.

We sat in silence for a while. Grant kept eating, still with an awkward expression, still staring at me. I just sat there.

Finally, he asked, “So are you dating anyone right now? Sorry if I’m not supposed to ask.”

“No,” I said. “Freshly single.” That was one of the reasons I quit working at Marcone’s. My ex was one of the owners.

“Oh,” he said again. That “oh” had a lot of meaning. Was he interested? Did this straight, rich former construction worker like me? It sure sounded like it.

Then he added, “If you want to get back out there, go on dates and stuff, just let me know. I don’t wanna hold you back.”

My heart sank. Nope, he didn’t like me. He was just being a good boss.

“Thanks,” I said. I really should reenter the dating scene. It had been too long.

We started talking about other things (thankfully). He told me about his favorite action movies (which removed all doubt that he was gay). Pleasant conversation, though. I really enjoyed eating with him.

Pretty soon, he finished his meal and I pushed the remains of my sandwich to the side. (I told you I wasn’t a big eater.)

He looked at my plate with a hint of disappointment. “You don’t like your own food?”

“No, I just don’t eat a lot.”

“Then, um, can I have it?”

I’d left two thirds of my sandwich, but my bite marks were on it.

“I can make you another one if you’re still hungry?”

“I’m not. I just don’t like food going to waste.”

I pushed the plate toward him. He smiled and kept eating.

***

We ate every meal together after that. He always ate my leftovers. He always complimented me, too. I knew I was a great cook, but there were very few compliments in the restaurant industry. In movies, you see people sending their "compliments to the chef," but in reality, that never happens. It felt great to be so appreciated.

It also felt great to get to know Grant. We got into deep conversations. He told me everything about himself, from his struggles as a kid in foster care, to his difficult high school experience, to his long days working construction. He never complained. If I had lived through a fraction of the difficulties that he had, I wouldn’t stop complaining. Not Grant. He took life as it came and was grateful for everything he had.

We didn’t just confine our conversations to the dinner table, though. We hung out throughout the day. Some nights, we’d watch movies together. We went shopping a couple times. I even introduced him to my family. Outside of actual romance, it felt like we were a couple.

I think that’s why I felt confident enough to tell him that he was gaining weight. I first noticed it a month into the job, when I saw his shirtless stomach bunch into rolls during one of our lunches. At the time, I assumed it was just a temporary softening, but two weeks later, those rolls had only gotten more obvious. That’s when I said, “Grant, I think you’re gaining weight. If you want me to adjust our menu, I totally can.”

He looked down at his stomach and poked his new flab with his fingers. He seemed surprised but not concerned. “I guess I am. And no, don’t change the menu at all. It’s too good.”

And that was that. I’d brought it to his attention, and since he didn’t seem to care, I decided not to mention it again. He was choosing my food over his own appearance, and I was fine with that. He still looked quite handsome.

His added pudge didn’t change his habits at all. He still walked around shirtless all the time. He still finished all his food and most of mine. He still acted confident in his own skin. I missed his six-pack, but that confidence more than made up for it.

One day, three months after I moved in, he surprised me in the kitchen. His belly was rounder than it ever had been, and his nipples were starting to look puffy. I was surprised to see him. He never interrupted me when I was cooking.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah. I just wanted to see you. And if it’s not too much of a distraction, I kinda wanted to see you at work. Maybe I could learn some tricks.”

Even though I loved seeing him with his shirt off, I told him to put something on so that his thick chest and belly hair didn’t end up in our food.

He laughed at my request but did as I said. As he bounded out of the room, I noticed that his ass was jiggling under his shorts. That was a new development.

When he came back in, he was wearing an old gray shirt that I’d seen him in plenty of times before. Now, it barely contained his belly. A sliver of skin was exposed at the bottom. He noticed my eyes dart down there.

“I know,” he muttered. “I think we need to go shopping again.”

That sentence struck me for two reasons:

One, he still wasn’t upset at his weight gain, and he expected it to continue.

And two, he said “we.” It definitely sounded like something a boyfriend would say. Whether or not he saw me in a romantic light, we’d settling into the rhythms of a couple.

I pushed that thought out of my brain and started showing him around the kitchen. I was making beef stroganoff and had all the ingredients laid out and ready to go.

He listened attentively, asking enough questions to tell me that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. (He literally got the “stove” and “oven” mixed up.) As a professional cook, I should’ve been annoyed, but I thought it was cute.

Everything about him was cute. His excitement. His eagerness to learn. Even the way his little belly bobbed around as he rushed across the kitchen trying to “help.”

When it was time to mix the cream sauce on the stove (not the oven), I had him do the stirring for me. I grabbed his waist and positioned him in front of the pan, then reached around him and guided his hand so he’d stir at the right speed. I didn’t realize how intimate this was until he looked at me over his shoulder. He had a strange look in his eyes. A hungry look. “You’re a good cook, B.”

“And you’re a fast learner,” I said. Perhaps that was an exaggeration. But whatever. It made him smile. He was still looking at me, so I added, “Eyes on the sauce, please.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

I gave him some space. I didn’t want to take things too far.

With my instructions, he finished the rest of the meal himself. I was so proud of him.

Read Part 2 here. Check out my list of stories here and my ebooks here.

[aquaholicsanonymousworld]

"Past the Curfew"

Pairing: Josh Brolin x Daughter!Reader, Eden Brolin x Sister!Reader, Lewis Pullman x Reader

Summary: For years, she and her father, Josh Brolin, have been locked in an unspoken war—one fought through interviews, leaked headlines, and one song that refused to die. She wrote it in anger. He read it in pain. The world dissected it like a script they had no control over. Now, with his memoir on the shelves and the song resurfacing once again, she makes a choice—to show up, to be seen, and to stand beside him at his book signing.

Inspired by: byob by Sabrina Sterling

Author's Note: Two people liked my last nepo baby fic so I ran with it. Also read Josh's memoir From Under the Truck it's so good.

The first time the song came up on her father’s press tour, she swore she wouldn’t watch any more interviews.

And yet, here she was, staring at her phone screen, watching the clip play out on some entertainment news account.

Josh Brolin sat back in the interview chair, relaxed but tight in the shoulders, like he’d been expecting this question. The interviewer leaned forward, eyes gleaming with the kind of anticipation that only came with discussing someone else’s trauma in a neatly packaged soundbite.

“So, your memoir is incredibly candid about your struggles with addiction and fatherhood. Of course, a lot of people remember the song your daughter wrote byob—”

Josh sighed, rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah.”

The interviewer wasn’t deterred. “The lyrics are… raw, to say the least.” A pause for dramatic effect. Then, with careful emphasis, she recited,

‘He’s a man of little honor, pulling signs off people’s yards…’

She shut her eyes.

Josh nodded once, slow. “Yeah, I’ve heard it.”

“Did it hurt to hear that from your daughter?”

He looked down at his hands. “I think it’d hurt any father.” He exhaled, a quiet laugh that wasn’t really a laugh. “I mean, she wasn’t wrong. At the time.”

The comments were already flooding in.

Damn, I forgot how brutal that song was.

He’s so mature about it tho, respect.

I need to go listen to it again, that song was wild.

It had been years since the song came out, but the internet never forgot. Every time Josh Brolin did something noteworthy, people dug it back up like it was their personal responsibility to remind her of the worst thing she’d ever written about her father.

She clicked the phone screen off.

The next morning, she was on her own press run for Top Gun: Maverick. She should’ve expected the question.

“You’ve had an incredible year,” the interviewer gushed. “Between Top Gun, your music, and of course, your father’s book coming out—”

There it was.

The interviewer leaned forward. “You’ve been very open about your struggles with addiction. With your father’s memoir out now, how does it feel seeing all of that resurface?”

She took a breath. “I knew it would. I mean, it’s not like it ever really goes away.”

“Especially with that song,” the interviewer added. “It’s trending again.”

A tight smile. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“Do you stand by it?”

She hesitated. Not because she didn’t know the answer, but because she knew every word would be dissected.

“I wrote it when I was younger. When I was angry.” A pause. “But I’m not gonna act like it wasn’t true at the time.”

A carefully crafted answer. One she knew would be pulled apart anyway.

Later that night, Eden called.

“You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she said, stretched out on the hotel bed.

Eden scoffed. “You’re full of shit.”

She exhaled, pressing her palm against her forehead. “It’s just… crazy how that song still follows all of us.”

She thought of the bridge—the line that always stuck with her the most.

"Cycle will continue on, learn to keep the curtains drawn…"

It was never about breaking the cycle. It was about surviving it.

“I didn’t write it to haunt us,” she admitted.

Eden sighed. “I know. But it does.”

Lewis shifted beside her, his hand sliding over her stomach, grounding her.

She didn’t have an answer for that.

Maybe she should call her dad. Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe some things were too big for a single phone call to fix.

The press cycle didn’t slow down.

If anything, the song’s resurgence made it worse. Every interview, every headline—it all circled back to the same questions.

Do you regret writing the song?

Where do you stand with your father now?

Has he reached out to you?

How does your sobriety factor into all of this?

She learned how to dodge them, how to give just enough of an answer without giving anything real. It wasn’t new. She’d been doing it her whole life.

But then the press started going after Eden.

They cornered her outside a show, flashing cameras in her face, asking if she agreed with the song, if she thought their father deserved it. Eden, who had always been better at keeping her cool, just pushed past them and climbed into the car.

That night, she called.

“You need to talk to him.”

She sighed. “Eden—”

“No, listen to me. This isn’t just about you and Dad anymore. It’s dragging all of us back into it.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

Eden’s voice softened. “Then what are you gonna do about it?”

She spent an hour staring at his number before she actually pressed call.

It rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

And then—

“Hey, kid.”

Her throat tightened. “Hey.”

A pause.

“I saw your interview.” His voice was rough, unreadable.

She exhaled, rubbing her eyes. “Which one?”

A quiet laugh. “Fair enough.” Another pause. “I wasn’t mad at what you said.”

She swallowed. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” A beat. “I was mad at myself.”

Her breath caught.

Josh sighed on the other end of the line. “I don’t blame you for writing that song. I don’t even blame people for bringing it up again. I just—” He hesitated. “I hate that I gave you a reason to write it in the first place.”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

“You were pissed when I put it out,” she muttered.

“You’re right. I was. Because it hurt.” His voice was quiet now. “But you weren’t wrong.”

Silence stretched between them.

She wanted to be angry. Wanted to hold onto the resentment, the pain. But she couldn’t. Not when he was finally saying the words she’d needed to hear for years.

“Are we okay?” he asked after a while.

She blinked at the ceiling, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I think we could be.”

The conversation should have been enough to close the chapter.

She should have felt lighter. Relieved. Maybe even freed from the weight of everything that had been dredged up in the last few weeks.

Instead, she felt like she was standing on thin ice, waiting for the next crack.

Lewis had been watching her carefully since she got off the phone with her father. He hadn’t pushed, hadn’t pried, just pulled her into his arms that night and let her exist in silence. But she knew him—knew the way he worried about her, the way he always seemed to see through the bullshit.

So when he finally spoke up, she wasn’t surprised.

"You okay?"

She rolled onto her side, staring at him in the dim glow of the hotel lamp. “Do you want the real answer or the PR one?”

Lewis huffed a quiet laugh, pushing her hair back from her face. “I want you to be honest with me.”

She chewed on her lip. “I don’t know how to feel.”

"That’s fair." He didn’t look away from her. "But you don't have to figure it out all at once."

She exhaled, nodding. “Yeah.”

But then another problem surfaced.

The next morning, Eden sent her a link with no context.

She clicked it.

And immediately wished she hadn’t.

“Josh Brolin’s Daughter Reacts to His Memoir and THAT Song—‘I Don’t Regret It’”

The article twisted every single thing she had said, painting her as bitter, as if she was still holding onto old wounds that she and her father had already started to mend.

Then there was the kicker:

"Sources close to the actress and musician claim she and her father still have a volatile relationship, with little progress made despite public appearances."

What sources?

Who was feeding this narrative?

Her stomach twisted as she scrolled through the comments.

She’s just riding off her dad’s name, classic nepo baby behavior.

I get that Josh had issues but this girl needs to stop playing the victim.

Didn’t she just get out of rehab? Maybe she should focus on staying clean instead of dragging her dad.

Her fingers clenched around the phone.

She had decided early on: if the press was going to talk about her, let them talk about her showing up.

She didn’t want this moment to be another spectacle of estrangement, another headline twisting the past into something unresolved. She wasn’t hiding. Not this time.

So she let it be known—she would be there, sitting front and center, surrounded by her family.

The media had a field day with it.

Josh Brolin’s Daughter Attending His Book Reading Amidst Resurfaced Controversy

After Years of Public Feuds, Has the Brolin Family Finally Reconciled?

The Song, The Book, The Legacy—A Family’s Fight to Heal

The noise didn’t matter.

What mattered was that she was walking into the bookstore on her own terms.

Josh spotted her the second he stepped onto the stage.

She was easy to find—sitting in the second row, between Eden and Lewis, with Trevor, Kathryn, and their two little sisters sitting beside them. His wife, Kathryn, sat just behind them, her hand resting on his youngest daughter’s shoulder.

It was his whole family, together, here for him.

For a brief second, he had to swallow the lump in his throat.

She gave him a small nod.

He nodded back.

Then, he picked up his book.

"There’s a lot that’s been said about me and my daughter over the years. Some of it true, some of it stretched, some of it twisted into a story we didn’t write. But here’s the truth, from me.

She’s more like me than either of us would like to admit.

She has my temper, my tendency to self-destruct, my habit of letting silence fester instead of just saying what she means. But she also has my fire, my passion, my fight. And she’s had to fight harder than I ever did because I gave her a reason to.

I’ve made mistakes. She has, too. But what I hope people understand is that none of this was ever about blame. It was about survival. And she survived. Even when I made it harder for her. Even when I wasn’t the father she needed. She still fucking survived.

There was a time when I thought we’d never come back from it. A time when I heard that song she wrote and felt like I’d lost her forever. But what I didn’t understand then is that the song wasn’t just about me. It was about her, too. About what we became in the worst of it. And about what we could still be if we made it out the other side.

She’s made it. And I have never been prouder of anything in my life than I am of her.”

She didn’t realize she was crying until Eden reached over and squeezed her hand.

Her father closed the book, looking up for the first time since he started reading.

His gaze found hers immediately. She had no idea how long they stared at each other. Then, Josh did something unexpected.

He reached for the microphone, clearing his throat. “I wasn’t sure if she’d want to, but… if she’s willing, I’d love for my daughter to come up here and say something.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. Cameras clicked.

She blinked. Eden gave her a knowing look. Lewis squeezed her knee. Her two little sisters turned to her with wide, hopeful eyes. And then, before she could think about it too much—she stood up.

The applause was loud as she walked up to the stage.

Josh moved aside, letting her take the mic. She let the noise settle, let the moment breathe. Then, she looked at him.

She could feel the weight of the last few years between them. The pain, the anger, the distance. But now, standing beside him, she also felt everything else.

The love. The fight. The fact that, despite everything, they were still here. She exhaled softly, then spoke.

“I think… if you had told either of us a few years ago that we’d be standing here today, we both would’ve called you crazy.” A small laugh rippled through the audience. “But here we are.”

She looked back at Josh.

“I spent a long time feeling like my dad and I were too different to ever really understand each other. But the truth is, we’re more alike than I ever wanted to admit.”

Josh’s mouth twitched. “You got that right.”

Laughter.

She smiled.

“I wrote that song at a time in my life when I needed to say something, and music was the only way I knew how. I don’t regret writing it. But I also know now that it was never the full story.”

Josh nodded. “It wasn’t.”

She took a breath. “This—us—this is the full story. We’re still writing it.”

The audience fell silent. Then, applause. Loud, real applause. Josh reached over, pulling her into a hug. She let herself sink into it, gripping him just as tightly.

And for the first time in a long time—it didn’t feel like they were fighting against each other.

It felt like they were finally, finally on the same side.

[captainsophiestark]

Take A Break

Javi Rivera x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Twisters

Summary: As part of Kate's original crew of tornado-tamers, you're as much of a workaholic as she is. Thankfully, Javi's around to help pull his girlfriend out of her notes when she really needs a break.

Word Count: 1,123

Category: Fluff, Humor, kind of angst just because of what happens to the original crew, but you can easily pretend that doesn't happen in the timeline of this fic :)

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Hey, enough work for tonight. Come join the party with the rest of us."

I smiled to myself as I made a few last notes off the computer screen. I knew Jeb was mostly talking to Kate, but I also knew that if I stayed here and tried to keep working after he managed to get Kate to take a break, my boyfriend wouldn't be far behind to literally drag me away from my notes.

I scribbled down a few last things as Jeb herded Kate away to the campfire, then started the process of shutting down my computer. Just as the last program finished closing, two arms wrapped tightly around my waist and picked me up, pulling me away from my work at the back of the truck.

"Javi!" I squealed, laughing as he slung me over one shoulder and started heading for the campfire.

"Yeah babe?"

"I was about to head over!"

"Oh yeah, I've heard that one before. Sorry, I know you too well. I know how fast another minute can turn into another hour. I care about this project as much as you do, but you need to take a break."

I sighed, rolling my eyes even though Javi couldn't see me. Even so, I couldn't totally hold back a smile.

"You know, Jeb just came and threw an arm around Kate."

"That's because Jeb lacks commitment," Javi responded as we neared the fire with the rest of our friends. He made sure to speak loudly enough that Jeb could hear him, too. "And because Kate's easier to convince than you are."

I scoffed, but the impact was lessened as Javi flopped into one of the chairs around the fire, pulling me around to sit in his lap in one smooth move. I shook my head and grinned up at him once we landed.

"You don't want your own chair?"

"My girl's had her head in her work, completely ignoring me for hours. No, I don't want my own chair."

I laughed, snuggling in closer to Javi and resting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, and I smiled to see the rest of our friends settled comfortably around the fire, too.

"Glad you could finally join us!" called Praveen, Addy grinning beside him. I grinned right back.

"Don't act like I'm the only workaholic in this group," I said, fake-scowling as I curled closer into Javi's side. "You're all just as bad as I am. That's why we're friends."

"Alright, I resent the implicaiton that I don't know how to have a healthy work-life balance," said Javi, drawling his words a little as he held up his hands on either side of me to help illustrate his point. "I know how to have fun and how to work my ass off with Dorothy."

I twisted in Javi's lap to look up at him with a frown.

"Is it a healthy work-life balance to go way too hard on work and fun?"

He just looked down at me with a grin, leaning in for a quick kiss before pulling back with the same roguish smile.

"Hell yeah it is."

I just laughed and shook my head, leaning back on his shoulder as he tigthened his arms around me.

"Alright, whatever you say. I guess that's what college is for anyway, even if it's grad school."

"We're making memories. We have to have something to say when we're being interviewed for our incredible scientific breakthrough. Some good memories for the memoir."

"He's right," Jeb chimed in, leaning back and stretching his arm out across Kate's chair. "Most people won't want to hear that we spent every hour of every day in the lab. They want to know the people behind the science."

"I don't think any of the journals we want to publish in are going to care about who we are outside of the lab," Kate countered, flopping back against Jeb. "Or the people reading our grant proposals."

"Still works for the long-term headlines," Addy chimed in. "'Brilliant scientists tame the tornado, protecting the home where they spent countless nights together'."

"I think that's a little long," mused Kate.

"It makes it sound like we were all sleeping with each other or something," I added.

"Yeah, that's just the two sets of lovebirds over there," Praveen added.

Kate and Jeb smiled, Kate tucking her head into Jeb's shoulder, and I shot Praveen a wink before leaning up to give Javi a quick kiss. Praveen and Addy liked to make a big show of covering their eyes and shouting at any sign of PDA, but we knew it was all in good fun. They loved the four of us, both separately and as couples, even if they'd both developed strong ten minute comedy sets on the fact that they weren't dating each other or anyone else in our little group.

"Alright, enough of this," Kate said, leaning forward and raising an eyebrow. "I came over here with the promise of s'mores. So where are they?"

"Javi packed them," said Jeb, nodding in our direction. Javi shifted under me, settling further into the chair and wrapping his arms a little tighter around me.

"They're in the back of the van, but somebody else is gonna have to get them. I'm settled in here, and if I don't keep an eye on this one, she might just run right back to her computers."

Most of our friends rolled their eyes, but even so, Addy stood up.

"Lucky for both of you, I want s'mores enough that I'm willing to get up and take one for the team."

"Thank you, Addy," we chorused. She just waved us off with a smile. I waited until she passed Javi and I and got all the way to the truck, then leaned up to whisper in my boyfriend's ear.

"You absolutely know I wouldn't choose computers over s'mores. Probably ever."

"Of course I know," Javi said, leaning down to whisper in my ear with a smile, nuzzling into the crook of my shoulder. "But I'm enjoying sitting with you like this. We're too comfortable to be getting up for s'mores when we have friends that'll take care of that for us."

I laughed, nodding and resting my forehead against his.

"You're right. Genius decision."

"I know."

We shared a smile, one of Javi's hands gently squeezing my thigh as I leaned in to give him another quick kiss. Sitting by the fire with him, surrounded by all our friends, was my absolute favorite happy place. It made all the work and risk and long nights spent huddled over calculations and theories worth it, to be able to do it with Javi and the rest of our crew.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

[v88sy]

Lmao but for real. Idk if it's bts drama with Ryan or something but it's getting more and more obvious. Bobby, his captain just died and the guy is just over there offering a cookie to Ravi in these trying times like an extra on set with a blank expression on his face.

I refuse to feel bad for enjoying this situation. Bvddie shippers have made their own bed. I don't like Ryan at all, but even I can admit there's only so much toxicity an actor can take. Buck was at least allowed to exist in his own right in their eyes even if they couldn't stand him canonically dating a man (so much for being LGBT warriors and caring for representation!). But the way they're obsessed with Eddie and try to bring every plot he has back to him being "gay" is exhausting and weird as fuck.

Imagine being an actor and being excited for the storyline your character is getting that season and your fans are just like "we don't care, when are Buck and Eddie going to fuck on screen tho?" Not saying Eddie's plots have always been exciting at all, lord knows they've done some stupid shit with the character, but still. Eddie arguably had the most interesting SL in years while trying to mend his relationship with Chris and they could not have cared less because it meant he was in Texas and not bending over for Buck. I wouldn't blame Ryan if he wants out, if his acting in this ep is any indication, his heart just isn't in it anymore.

I didn't mind Eddie at first, I really didn't. But, it kind of feels like after Shannon died, the writers just...didn't know what to do with him. His entire existence became about grief without any real action to address it or deal with it. I get it, grief never really goes away, but you can't just Fight Club your way out of it either.

I often wonder if the writers intended to write him as insufferable and selfish as they have. He says things to hurt others and never reflects or takes accountability. It's been talked about ad nauseum here, but his friendship with Buck is incredibly one sided. Again, I don't know what's more scary...to think this was all by design...or that it wasn't.

And, since we're just going for it here, Ryandrew Tateman absolutely hasn't done himself any favors here. I know what he did. You know he did. And I wish I could say that was the only thing, or even the most recent.

On a personal note, I've worked in healthcare for 20 years, including the height of covid, so being an anti vaxx/anti covid vaxx is an instant 'fuck off' from me.

And the memes he's been sharing about Pete/Bobby? Salty edgelord.

You make excellent points about anything and everything being boiled down to Gay Eddie™ in some people's minds. Not even bi or demi, or any other shade of queer. It has to be gay, and Buck has to serve as the trad wife self insert surrogate. Which, really makes me question their motives, because it ain't representation. We already got that, and have since day one. Not that they'd ever know.

Look, it's very clear by now that I'm not his biggest fan by a long shot, but it's absolutely disgusting that people want to disregard his body autonomy by saying things like "it doesn't matter what he wants, they're gonna force him to do bddie anyways because it's what the people want".

No, they don't, and honestly, that makes me wonder about your views on consent. The role would involve, at the very least, kissing Oliver, (not that I'd mind myself, but that's another topic for another day) so...yes. It absolutely is his choice, as it should always be when engaging in contact with someone, acting job or not.

And yeah, I'll give it to you that he's probably tired as fuck about being reduced to nothing more than "the guy who absolutely must be gay because *insert harmful stereotype here.*"

And that's in addition to having every. single. interview. harp on the ship that he has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to do, for actually valid reasons, assuming those are the real reasons and he's not just blowing smoke up our ass.

So, yeah, I don't blame him for wanting an out, but I also don't think we should be blamed for wanting to be able to enjoy our show and the fandom as a whole once again.

All that being said...are you trying to put me in jail, katey 😂